$26 in advance / $30 day of concert



A virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar, Robert Randolph set the music world on fire in 2000 when he began playing his first club dates in New York City.

Randolph started playing the instrument as a church-going teenager in Orange, NJ, a small city just outside of Newark. He regularly attended the House of God Church, an African-American Pentecostal denomination that had been implementing steel guitars (or "Sacred Steel") in services since the '30s, with the pedal steel in particular being introduced during the '70s. Randolph learned to play by watching other steel players during church services; years later, he updated that sacred basis with a secular mix of funk and soul, giving a new multicultural facelift to his 13-string instrument that had often been associated with country music.

In early 2000, Jim Markel heard Randolph play at the Sacred Steel Convention in Florida and subsequently introduced him to his friend, Gary Waldman. Together, Waldman and Markel began to manage Randolph's career, which took flight after Matt Hickey, a talent buyer at Manhattan's Bowery Ballroom, signed Randolph on as the opening act for the North Mississippi Allstars. Within a month, Randolph had graduated to the Beacon Theater, where he played alongside Medeski, Martin & Wood. Keyboardist John Medeski enjoyed Randolph's playing so much that he asked him to record an instrumental gospel/blues album with the band. The resulting record, The Word, was released in August 2001 to great critical and popular acclaim.

Randolph's own group, the Family Band, includes cousins Danyell Morgan and Marcus Randolph (bass and drums, respectively) and Jason Crosby (Hammond B-3 organ). The band's career began with opening gigs for a variety of blues, jazz-funk, and jam bands such as the Derek Trucks Band, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, and Soulive; headlining gigs became the norm within a few months' time. Robert Randolph & the Family Band released Live at the Wetlands in fall 2001, capturing the band's live performance at the legendary Wetlands venue.

The group's studio debut, Unclassified, followed in 2003 and introduced Randolph to an even wider audience. One new fan was veteran guitarist Eric Clapton, who brought the band out on tour and appeared on Robert Randolph's third release, Colorblind, in 2006, which also features a guest appearance by Dave Matthews.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band are currently working on their fourth album We Walk This Road with producer T-Bone Burnett. They released the first single from that album entitled Get There, which is the current Friday Night Knicks Theme Song.

Randolph's live shows have been defined by his pyrotechnics on his 13-string pedal steel guitar, where his playing has been compared to guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Carlos Santana.

Find more info at: www.robertrandolph.net

Nate Wilson Group opens the show

Nate Wilson's first true effort as a bandleader represents a new point of arrival and re-invention for the New Hampshire based singer-songwriter/keyboardist. Originally formed for a weekly residency at the legendary Stone Church near the University of New Hampshire, the Nate Wilson Group solidified its sound in 2007 with the release of their first studio EP, featuring original tracks "For the Sun,", "Justify," and "Unbound."

Gathering much of their inspiration from the riff-heavy psychedelic hard-rock of the 60's and 70's, the Group has drawn comparisons to 1st generation luminaries Led Zeppelin and Cream, as well as neo-classic and stoner rock contemporaries Wolfmother, The Black Keys, Dead Meadow, and The Raconteurs.

In the brief time since their inception, the group has divided its time equally between the stage and the studio. They continue to write and tour, expanding their fanbase throughout the Northeast while promoting their debut album, Unbound. (September 2008)

Find more info at: www.natewilsongroup.net