FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE
1. THE SOUNDS OF SACRED STEEL, A Q&A WITH ROBERT RANDOLPH
2. LONG-TIME ASBURY JUKE BOBBY BANDIERA BACK ON STAGE
3. CALENDAR OF EVENTS
The Stone Pony is pleased to announce a special concert event August 16th at the 12,000-seat Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. The 'Sounds of Asbury Park' concert will feature some of the artists who have made the Jersey Shore sound an integral part of the rock music scene. Stay tuned for more details and make sure to mark Friday, August 16th on your calendar -- it will truly be a wild summer night!
Two years can be a long time. For Robert Randolph, it's been the wonderful start of what will hopefully be a long musical career. Randolph brings that career, and the unique sounds of the pedal steel guitar, to The Stone Pony on Friday evening, April 19th. As a teenager, Randolph took up the "Sacred Steel" tradition, the use of pedal and lap steel guitars in the House of God Church, for his Orange, NJ congregation. Randolph's talent and unique expression of the instrument led to his "discovery" at the 1st Annual Sacred Steel convention in Florida. Within a few months, he had assembled the Family Band, and became a popular fixture on the New York music scene. Since that time, Robert Randolph and the Family Band have been in great demand as musical collaborators and recording artists, while maintaining a rigorous touring schedule. Randolph has set forth to introduce the world to his favorite instrument, and his soulful, skillfully improvised and high-energy shows are just the means to spread the word. The 24-year-old New Jersey-native spent some time answering questions for our readers about the development of his sound and the special qualities of the pedal steel.
The Stone Pony: You've garnered a lot of attention on the music scene for your choice of instrument, the pedal steel guitar. Can you explain to our readers what sort of sound it creates and how it is played?
Robert Randolph: It creates a singing, vocal kind of sound. It's played with a metal bar and three finger picks, thumb, middle and index. It also has foot pedals and knee levers that bend the strings to change notes.
The Stone Pony: What are the differences or advantages you have when composing or performing on a pedal steel rather, rather than a more conventional guitar?
RR: I can make vocal-type sounds that imitate a singer, as opposed to a guitar which needs effects. It basically has a fuller sound.
The Stone Pony: What was your first introduction to the pedal steel guitar, and who were some of your inspirations when learning how to play?
RR: I was introduced to it through my church which uses the steel guitar as its main instrument. My main inspirations were Henry Nelson, Ted Beard, Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell and the late Glenn Lee from the church. Outside the church my inspirations include Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Benson, and later the Allman Brothers and the Rolling Stones.
The Stone Pony: How have you been able to bring your own style to the instrument and how does your approach to playing differ from those who have come before you?
RR: The other church players had the original church sounds, but I tried to play it more like a guitar while still integrating the church style.
The Stone Pony: Do you feel it will gain wider musical exposure due to your success?
RR: Yes, I'd really like to see the pedal steel reach new audiences.
The Stone Pony: Robert Randolph & The Family Band is literally comprised of some of your family members. Were any members of your family professional musicians prior to the creation of the The Family Band over the past couple of years?
RR: Many members of my family outside of the band are well-traveled gospel musicians, almost too many to mention. My keyboard player, Jerseyite John Ginty, has played with many big names, such as Jewel.
The Stone Pony: How did the band come to be assembled, and who will be performing on stage with you at your Stone Pony appearance?
RR: The Family Band is Robert Randolph on pedal steel and vocals, Danyel Morgan on bass and vocals, John Ginty on organ, and Marcus Randolph on drums. Every member besides Ginty had played with me for years in the church. I met John through my managers.
The Stone Pony: You learned to play as part of the House of God in the "sacred steel" tradition. The sacred steel form of roots-music has been lost to most audiences until the past few years, and is seeing popular exposure due to your success. Do you feel you are bringing this form of music to a wider-audience, or are you creating something new based upon that tradition?
RR: I would say that Sacred Steel is the basis behind my music, but I would like to think that I'm taking it new directions.
The Stone Pony: Do you continue to play at your church, and how do you manage to balance your religious and secular careers?
RR: I play in church when I can, but my touring schedule has made that difficult. Playing to audiences of all races, origins and ages is my church service now.
The Stone Pony: Because of your church upbringing, you never listened to much rock and roll or popular music. A lot of your press attention talks about how you rarely, if ever, heard the music of so many of the legendary players you've been compared to. Has this been an advantage in that you're able to create an original sound that is almost completely independent of prior rock influences?
RR: Yeah, I'd say it's an advantage to me because it kept me from copying their licks. My own library of music comes from the church mainly.
The Stone Pony: Are you concerned that by being exposed, even over-exposed, to all of these sounds will make it more difficult to maintain the originality and fresh approach to music which has been so warmly received by fans?
RR: No, because I'm so used to listening to our style of music.
The Stone Pony: You have mentioned Stevie Ray Vaughan as one of your musical idols. Stevie Ray was certainly an innovator with the guitar and has been credited with helping to revive the blues sound during his career. Are there elements of Vaughan's playing style which you integrate into your own performances, and do you see parallels in his career with your own musical development thus far?
RR: I pretty much answered the question about the significance of his influence in an earlier question. I think he has one of the greatest, most soulful sounds I've ever heard. On the personal side, I certainly don't want to have the same problems that Stevie Ray had. As far as parallels go, I'll leave it up to others to determine what my influence will be on music.
The Stone Pony: Your debut album, "Live At The Wetlands", will be released to record stores on April 2nd, and shortly afterwards you will be opening for the Dave Matthews Band for five shows, including two at New York's Madison Square Garden. Does achieving this success so quickly add more pressure for your follow-up projects and how conscious are you of avoiding the pitfalls that stereotypically accompany such rapid ascent in the music world?
RR: I'm not worried because my job is to continue making music for people forever, and I don't see the pressure in that.
The Stone Pony: Have you had the time to set goals for yourself moving forward? Are there plans to record a studio album, or further live recording plans?
RR: We'll be recording this summer and we hope to have something out in early 2003. Actually, we just finished recording an album with the Blind Boys of Alabama that is due to come out this fall.
The Stone Pony: Your music goes beyond jam and improvisation to an almost spiritual feel for the moment in which the music is being created. How do the crowd and the room in which you are performing affect the vibe of the performance? Do you tailor the set you're planning to play to the audience you're playing for? Do you prepare differently for a set in front of a church audience and one for, say, a rowdy bunch of New Jersey fans at The Stone Pony?
RR: We basically play the same for every crowd, but the rowdy crowds will always add some extra energy to our playing.
The Stone Pony: Give fans a brief preview of what they can expect when they come to see your show at The Stone Pony on Friday night, April 19th.
RR: The show has music that makes people feel good, claps their hands, and generally move around. We're not a band that likes our audience to sit still.
The Stone Pony: What do you hope fans will be saying to each other when they walk out of club after the show?
RR: That they feel good about life and have just heard good music. That the show was a soul-refreshing experience.
Robert Randolph's official web site, www.robertrandolph.net, is filled with news and information about his music, plus merchandise for sale - including his live album, Live At The Wetlands, which was recorded in New York City in August 2001. The true experience is best felt, and heard, live and fans have the opportunity to do so at The Stone Pony this Friday, April 19th.
Now at asburypark.net: Springsteen party benefits school. Bruce Springsteen rented The Stone Pony this weekend and performed at an invitation-only benefit for the Rumson Country Day School. Admission was limited to around 300 at shows on Saturday and Sunday nights. Only parents and school supporters were invited to attend
Maybe you know Bobby Bandiera as guitarist for the Asbury Jukes, a post he ascended to in 1985. Perhaps you know him for his acoustic shows with Bob Burger (read the January 22, 2002 issue of the newsletter for a great interview with Bob), or his popular gigs with The Bobby Bandiera Band at The Stone Pony, or his appearances with Bruce Springsteen. In any case, you should know Bobby Bandiera. The multi-talented performer with the voice of an angel who plays guitar like the devil, returns to Ocean Avenue with his stellar band mates on Saturday, April 20th. All of these different musical endeavors have left Bobby with an impressive set-list from which to draw from, including both popular and obscure covers as well as his own original songs, so you're never quite sure what surprises will jump out at you from the speakers. He spent the later part of 2001 touring the United Kingdom with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, a follow-up to a successful European run earlier that summer. The tour, which included clubs in London, Sheffield and Southampton, proved that being an Asbury Juke not only requires an encyclopedia of songs to draw upon, but a mind quick enough to share the stage verbally with Southside. Fortunately, Bobby has both with room to spare. His songwriting credentials include co-credit for Juke tunes "Under The Sun" and "All Night Long", as well as his own crowd favorites "Mean Woman Blues" and "C'mon Caroline" (one of those songs just made to be played at the Pony!) The Bobby Bandiera Band topped off 2001 with a December 7th show at The Stone Pony. This memorable night, which followed-up a show at Convention Hall, included an array of guest appearances from the likes of Southside Johnny, Nils Lofgren, Eddie Manion and La Bamba. 2002 is proving to be another great year for Bobby and his live shows continue to be events that are always exciting and never to be missed. Fans should get their tickets and come to the club for a great time rocking with the Bobby Bandiera Band on Friday, April 20th. Bobby's full appearance schedule is posted on his official web site, www.bobbandiera.com.
So would we!
Blues Traveler has had an open invitation to perform at the club, but to no avail. We feel the band, fronted by John Popper and best-known for their hit song "Run-around", would be a cool addition to New Jersey's jam band scene. If you would like to help the Pony get Blues Traveler on our stage, visit their web site at www.bluestraveler.com, and e-mail the band (using the "E-Mail the Band" link at the bottom of the page). Let them know (nicely!) that you'd like to see them play at The Stone Pony and, hopefully, we'll be able to see this talented band on Ocean Avenue soon.
Have your party at the Pony! -- The Stone Pony is the perfect place for your party. We can accommodate six or 600, or anywhere in between. Of course, we can arrange for entertainment as well. Call 732-502-0600 Ext. 12.
Relay Run starts in Seaside Heights and the Walk starts in Sea Girt. Teams in Corporate, Government, Family, Club, Fire, Police and Open Categories. Presented by Jersey Shore Running Club, Elks Handicapped Children's Committee and Area 6 Special Olympics. Jersey shore bands at transition areas. There will be a giant runner's party with all the bands joining up at the finish at The Stone Pony.
The scenic course hugs the Jersey Shore to include boardwalks and oceanfront runs through: Seaside Hts, Ortley Beach, Lavallette, Mantoloking, Brick Beach, Bay Head, Pt Pleasant Beach, Brielle, Manasquan, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Belmar, Avon, Bradley Beach, Ocean Grove, Asbury Park.
Information at: http://www.jsrc.org/relay.htm, http://www.jsrc.org/relaywalk.htm, or call: 732-681-9464.
Thursday Nights. Bounce Thursday: The Ultimate Dance Party with DJ Matrix and MC BJ, 20-oz. $1 drafts and $1 tube shots all night long, ladies free until 11, $5 with Monmouth University ID, 18 & up for everyone with two forms of ID, doors at 9:30.
