Fans of Robert Randolph and the Family Band poured into Charlottesville Pavilion last Thursday to see a man who really knows how to wear a fedora. Oh yeah, and he plays a pedal steel guitar like nobody's business.
The suspense was killing me as the Drive-By Truckers ripped through their set of songs. I gripped onto my longneck Bud in anticipation as the DBT warmed up the crowd for RRFB's arrival.
When RRFB finally graced the stage with their presence, I was pleased to see that I had a front-and-center view of Randolph's steel pedal guitar, bearing his full name (lest you forget which member of the band is Robert Randolph). Donning a Mets jersey and the classic black fedora, Randolph sat behind the beast of an instrument and began to jam out with the Family Band.
RRFB didn't even get 30 seconds into this number before a gangly kid in a black T-shirt crashed into my right arm, screaming "Robert Randolph! Woo!" as he did a continuous, pseudo-Arsenio Hall Show arm-pumping motion into the air. Less than a minute into the show, and the fans were already getting rowdy. Three minutes into the show and Randolph had already lost his hat in a fit of emotion behind his coveted instrument.
Then RRFB launched into the song that first put them on the map, "I Need More Love," and the area around me exploded. At least, that's what it felt like as my voice along with hundreds of others launched into a sing-along -- minus the kid in the black shirt who continued to scream "Robert Randolph! Woo!" but added some hand-clapping to his one-man show. Then they took the opportunity to creatively segué into a cover of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." If someone had suggested to me before this moment that Michael Jackson songs could be played on a pedal steel guitar, I probably would have laughed. Now, I think someone should do a whole cover album of Michael Jackson songs on pedal steel guitar -- hint, hint.
In any case, I got a good dosage of RRFB's ability to cover a wide range of songs. A bit of ZZ Top's "La Grange" and Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" were even thrown into the mix, but not before some audience members really got to get into the groove.
As is customary of RRFB shows, some audience members piled up on stage to dance during one number. I was initially fearful that the amount of heavy gyrating and jumping was going to either crush one of the band members or implode the stage. RRFB wasn't as concerned as I was. They really ate this part up, throwing encouraging smiles to the dancers, and Randolph escaped with nothing more than a few sneaky kisses from overexcited female fans.
The only time the excitement sank below an orgasmic level was the solo section from bass player Danyel Morgan -- this was only because people were entranced by his seemingly effortless glide along the strings of his bass. His prowess allowed the kid in the black shirt to break from his script to shout, "Yeah, man! That's good!" I had to agree.
Probably the most memorable feature of the concert for most people would be the special guest appearance by Boyd Tinsley. Yes, that Boyd. The Dave Matthews Band member traipsed onstage to join RRFB on their song, "Nobody." With Tinsley's dreads swooshing through the air as he full-body launched himself into playing his electric violin and Randolph's equally involved body spasms while playing (a "regular") guitar I braced myself for a collision as they traded melody back and forth. Luckily, again, everyone avoided injury onstage and flowed right into "Papa was a Rolling Stone."
In the meantime, everyone around me almost got creamed by a very plastered 40-year-old man careening into the space out of nowhere to bust out moves somewhere between an Ashley Simpson-esque hoedown and American Idol's Taylor Hicks's dancing. I guess Tinsley just has that kind of effect on people.
The combination of Boyd-hoedown fan and the kid in a black shirt made me wish for another opportunity for audience members to rush the stage.
There was a moment where a lucky audience member in a Cubs baseball cap got to play guitar along with the band, but alas, no more random, happy dancing to showcase my two audience neighbors.
Instead, the concert ended with a bang as Tinsley rejoined RRFB for "Soul Refreshing." The concert seemed to end abruptly without an encore after RRFB launched us into jam-band ecstasy.
But my overall feeling was definitely "Robert Randolph! Woo!"
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