Excerpted from my journal 10/4/01 Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Early Show
Metro Cafe, Washington D.C.
Click For Setlist
10.5.01
Washington, D.C.Saw Robert Randolph last night. Passion ringing in my ears. The genuine spirit which pours through his sound is nearly overwhelming and more than makes up for the lack of variety in his setlists (both shows I've seen him play have been very similar). The guy sits and set up a groove, almost toying with us until the moments right and he tears into the strings. Wailing waves of joy, pain, and redemption wash through the room.
As they paused between songs, I yelled to Robert, "I don't know what you come to do!" He looked towards me and replied, "I don't know what YOU come to do." Then, he told us what he came to do.
"I come to leap for joy", sings cousin Danyell. "I come to scream", sings Robert, and scream he does with both his voice and his pedal steel which, to my ears, is equally his voice.
Healing music in hard times. Keep pushing on, indeed.
Too many guitar guys and not enough ladies for a song like Shake Your Hips where Robert bids the audience not to move their heads, not to wave their arms, not to shuffle their feet but no; simply "Shake Your Hips, Babe". Don't call me babe. But then he wasn't. He's singing to the ladies and I'm scanning the room for them. Wishing my wife was with me...
Man, its hot in this little box of a club with maybe 100 people inside on a warm autumn night. Robert's showing the sweat of a man who's working hard.
Calypso's groove set us up first (I think I noticed Robert fooling with a loop effect in there...) and the next number tore the room apart. Fast and furious on the strings as Danyell (not-so-)simply rocked his funky bassline, human pyrotechnics on the stage which, when complete, Robert described as Run For Your Life. Apt title. I felt out of breath.
Implored by the following tune to March; some did, others simply watched. Robert got up a second time and gave a little talk about how it's the "Universal March of Love" that he's promotin' and no one's gonna stop us from gettin' it on. More folks joined in. After that little speech and listening to the simple graceful soul of the bassline, I imagined the song morphing into Lovelight. Would be special but it wasn't going to happen last night.
The encore, as they left before 10, was insisted upon by much of the crowd and the band didn't disappoint. An instrumental Voodoo Chile lay waste to the room and pleased a good number of folks- including myself. Not quite the greatest ever but a candidate; given the deep-soaked blues Randolph drips onto the stage. Quite satisfying.
Randolph's a natural showman. In such a short time he's come a long way and, if it doesn't ruin him, he'll go down as a legend one day. The rest of the band is terrific and deserving of their props as well. Danyell slayed the room with his vocals and moved each song decisively with his bass. John is an excellent organ player and gives it up sweetly when Randolph prompts him for a solo. At times Robert and John sound as if they're mimicking each other, with Robert hitting a chopped percussive sound that mirrors John's rapid fire organ playing. Its spectacular. So's Marcus on the drums. Rock solid and on-the-one. Marcus even keeps the beat while he jumps for joy. One of these days, I'll hear him play steel guitar and I expect to be impressed...
Love that band.
©2001- jmh
About the Author jmh is a family man who is thankfull for beer, LPs, and extra guitar strings. Donations of any of these things or cash for their purchase will be happily accepted.