Robert Randolph & the Family Band

Pedal-steel-guitar sensation Robert Randolph owes much of his rapid rise over the past several years to a simple if seldom-stated fact: In the minds of many music fans, hot chops more than compensate for a lack of originality. Randolph, who appears at the Fillmore with the Motet, developed his pedal-steel...

By Michael Roberts

February 9, 2006

Audio By Carbonatix

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Pedal-steel-guitar sensation Robert Randolph owes much of his rapid rise over the past several years to a simple if seldom-stated fact: In the minds of many music fans, hot chops more than compensate for a lack of originality. Randolph, who appears at the Fillmore with the Motet, developed his pedal-steel skills while performing at a church near his New Jersey home, and by 2000, when the commercial music industry discovered him at a Sacred Steel convention in Florida, he was already capable of producing runs so scorching that it's a wonder he didn't wear work gloves for his own protection. Shortly thereafter, he put together the Family Band, and their two discs together -- 2002's Live at the Wetlands and Unclassified, a 2003 studio offering -- are jammed with his vivid playing. Granted, tunes such as Unclassified's "Soul Refreshing" are standard genre pieces; they serve primarily as launching pads for Randolph's solos and fills rather than offering fresh takes on familiar styles. But in a concert setting, such caveats are sure to be drowned out by the sound of screaming steel.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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