The rise of Robert Randolph has been a rapid one. Discovered during the 2000 Sacred Steel Convention in Florida, Randolph went from playing at his church to opening for the North Mississippi All-Stars almost overnight. Now he is on tour with his Family Band in support of its new album, Live at the Wetlands. The Daily Cardinal sat down with Randolph to talk about his tour and his appearance at the Memorial Union Rathskeller, at 9:30 p.m., tonight.
The Daily Cardinal: How long ago did you start playing the pedal steel guitar?
Robert Randolph: I started playing when I was about 16 or 17. I got started through my church. There's a long history of guys playing lap steel in my church.
DC: How does your style differ when you're playing outside of the church, at a concert for example?
RR: It's pretty much the same. Some of the songs and context are a little different, but it's pretty much the same. Just trying to uplift people and get people into it, trying to get them feeling good.
DC: Do you have any guitar or pedal steel heroes?
RR: Yeah, most of the guys at my church, to tell you the truth, are my heroes, as far as pedal steel is concerned.
DC: So there's been pedal steel at your church for a long time?
RR: It is a long tradition, since the 1930s, of guys playing lap steel at my church. Some of them don't play as aggressive as I do, but they play more basic stuff. They get the job done.
DC: What can you tell me about your \Sacred Steel"" style of playing the guitar?
RR: It is a real aggressive style of playing pedal steel. It is sort of like most lead guitar players do, a lot of aggression with the instrument. A lot of single note stuff like Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn did. The music itself is real upbeat and gritty.
DC: You seem to have entered the music scene very quickly. Can you explain exactly how that happened?
RR: Well, it's what I've been wanting to do for the last year and a half or so. It's just a style of music which I have been playing for years and years. Most of the outside world, outside of the church, has never heard music being played like that. It's just a new sound coming on. That's why everything is taking off so fast. And we're just playing our hearts out.
DC: Now you're headlining shows. Are you really excited about your rise to fame, or are you just taking it in stride?
RR: I'm real excited, because people are enjoying our music and it's just been a great experience. I haven't even really had the time to even sit down and think about what's been going on. It's just a great feeling. People of all ages are enjoying it: older, younger, the hippie crowd, the gospel crowd. Everybody's just given us positive feedback. It's just been a great experience, just to play music and enjoy myself and letting other people enjoy theirselves.
