Mikey’s Ultimate Jukebox: Why Robert Randolph & The Family Band Matters To Me
His band is the ultimate” hipster” band fusing together elements of rock & roll, blues, funk, and gospel. He is a Jersey guy born in Morristown and grew up in East Orange. He plays the steel guitar like it’s nobody’s business. I have never danced and sweated to a live performance of an artist as much as I did to this artist (well, besides AC/DC, but that doesn’t count!). Ladies and gentlemen... Robert Randolph & The Family Band. And why they matter to me.
Band Members: Robert Randolph, Various members of his “family”
Year Inducted: 2010
Years As A Fan: 15 Years (2003*)
Intro Song: I Need More Love
Top 500 Songs: Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That
Addl. Key Songs: Going In The Right Direction, Lickety Split, Deliver Me, Diane, Brand New Wayo, Got Soul, Amped Up, Traveling Shoes, I Thank You
Key Albums: Lickety Split, Colorblind, Unclassified
Personal Music Awards: N/A
Seen Live: 6 Times *2006 Roseland Ballroom, 2007 Terminal Five (The Word), 2007 Izod Center, 2010 Bowery Ballroom, 2010 Cranford Union Park, 2017 The Space in Westbury
Photo Opp: N/A (ALMOST!)
Who? Robert Randolph? Of all the musicians I have written about in this series, Robert Randolph & The Family Band are definitely the most obscure and least known. They have recorded some familiar tunes in movies, TV shows, and NBA promotional commercials. But they never had a smash hit on the charts, nor had extensive radio play, nor ever had wide-stream appeal. But have I mentioned that I have seen them numerous times in concert, and Robert and his family provide an amazing musical experience each and every time I see them perform? Besides AC/DC, I have never danced and sweated like a pig as much at a concert than I have at the countless Robert Randolph live shows I have been at over the years. Mixing blues, rock, funk, and gospel, Robert Randolph & The Family Band is all about making sure their audience has the time of their lives and he always delivers.
I had heard about Robert Randolph and his talents from random conversations with people who wanted to talk music with me in 2001 or 2002. Since I was from New Jersey it was assumed by people who knew that I was from the area that I was a fan of him. I was aware that he sometimes opened up for Dave Matthews Band but that was about it. Since his music wasn’t in the public eye and was more an underground thing, I wasn’t too concerned that I didn’t even have any Robert Randolph songs in my collection. When I met my future wife in 2002, I also met her brother who was intrigued by my extensive knowledge of rock music. He asked for recommendations and I mentioned Robert Randolph as an indie band that he might dig since he liked bands like DMB, Phish, and Widespread Panic. I pretended I was a know-it-all about Robert Randolph, but I was really just trying to be hip about an indie band since I didn’t think he would be into my kind of music like AC/DC or KISS. We were at Best Buy killing time and he bought Robert Randolph’s Unclassified album so we would have something to listen to on the ride back to his house. I dug it, but wasn’t really hooked upon first listen. Flash forward a few weeks as I caught wind of Robert Randolph on-line and learned a bit more about him and his association with New Jersey. I asked my future brother-in-law to borrow the album so I could add to my music collection but it sat in my car for awhile. My brother somehow got his hands on either my borrowed copy or from a friend, and also fell in love with Robert Randolph. We shared a love for the first two tracks, Going In The Right Direction and I Need More Love. Soon enough a love for this “hipster” band connected me, my brother, and my brother-in-law.
Over the years, Robert Randolph has released more albums and continues to tour. Some albums were great such as Lickety Split and Colorblind. Others like We Walk This Road, not as much! I’d see him and his band open up twice for Dave Matthews Band twice. The first time at MSG, I paid very little attention. The second time at the best DMB show I ever went to at Continental Airlines Arena, I wasn’t blown away by them as an opening act for a lot of reasons that weren’t their fault. But Robert Randolph came out later to jam with Dave Matthews Band and blew my fucking mind as he performed a rip-roaring rendition of All Along The Watchtower with Dave Matthews and his cohorts. I’ve also seen Robert Randolph & The Family Band as headliners five times and I always get my money’s worth. He never does the same set twice and I still have yet to hear Going In The Right Direction live. But as long as he always plays his live classic “The March” which melts my brain each and every time I hear it, I just lose my shit.
We almost got to meet Robert Randolph after a show in Morristown since my brother-in-law did some business with him and was able to get his personal email. It would have been a true experience to have some drinks and get a photo with him beyond the concert. But it never happened, although it might have should we have pursued it further. For a guy that should be pretty easy to get a photo with since he’s not a mega-star, I’ve never gotten it. At the last show of his that I went to in Long Island in 2017, we hung around at the side door since we had time to kill and wanted to get the photo with our guitar hero after the show. But the weather would not agree with the situation so we had to cut our losses and bolt the scene. I’ll still continue to attempt to add Robert Randolph to my “brushes with greatness” photo collection should I go see him perform for a sixth time.
In today’s world of rising costs and decreasing values, a ticket to see Robert Randolph perform is usually around $20-$40 and totally worth the money. Why pay $200 to go to an impersonal arena or stadium show surrounded by idiots on their cell phones when you can enjoy a more intimate performance at a small venue and still get your kicks. His crowds are usually a mix of college kids and old folks that are even older than me. But no matter what age, I guarantee that everybody in the crowd is dancing. I’ll continue to preach the greatness of Robert Randolph & The Family Band to the day I die. It makes me happy when friends that I introduce the band to appreciate the recommendation of this talented dude!
-Mikey Hersh
