MY EVENING WITH ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND
Over the last year, I've been incredibly fortunate to play & share the stage with many of my musical heroes, and a lot of those moments have been on the AMH stage. From Gene Ween to George Clinton, Fishbone to Shuggie Otis, it really has been incredible, and Robert Randolph may have been the cherry on top for me.
When I was 17, I got a call one night from a friend with an extra ticket to see a guy named Robert Randolph at The Electric Factory. He urged me that this was a guy I needed to see, and it certainly helped that one of my other favorite guitar players, Luther Dickinson, happened to be playing with him that night, too. I had no idea what I was really in store for, and needless to say, by the shows end, drenched in sweat from dancing like a maniac, and most of my face melted off with joy, I became an instant fan of Robert Randolph & The Family Band.
Flash forward 8 years later, I'm at sound check with my band, Nik Greeley & The Operators, as we get geared to be the opening band for none other then RR & The Family Band. Robert had just finished his sound check when I wandered over his way.
"Hey Mr. Randolph, just wanted to say this is an honor & we're happy to be here with you guys tonight. Do you think it's possible to sing a tune with you tonight, and if you'd be interested in having our horn section sit in with you?"
I totally went for it, I had to put it out there, would I ever get this chance again? Would he brush me off & say no thanks? I just had to ask...
"Sure man! I'd love to, we're happy to be here with y'all tonight, too!"
Whoa, that just happened...
Part of me still didn't believe it though, maybe he's just saying it to be nice. The Operators & I kicked off the night with a bang, and we were feeling really good. RR & The Family Band came on soon after, and by that point, AMH was on FIRE. The energy, the music, the sold out crowd, everything was clicking, and the vibes could be felt all around. And sure enough, before I knew it, there was the horn section on stage with Robert, playing two classics, Bill Wither's "Use Me" & Sly Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again).” My smile was about as big as my face; it was a very proud moment for the band & I.
I still hadn't gone up yet, I was feeling a bit gun shy I suppose, even though he told me to play, I still worried that maybe I came off too much as a fan boy, and should let him & the horns bask in the moment. I was hanging backstage when Robert & the band came offstage before the encore. As he came through the doors I looked his way and said, "You're killin' it man, this crowd is going nuts."
He fired back, "Man, when are you coming up? Are you gonna sing or what?! Come up with us for the encore, what do you wanna sing."
WHOA, this is really happening...I had no time to think, and spit out the first person that came to mind, "How about Hendrix? Sound cool?!"
"Hell yeah man! Perfect, how about ‘Hey Joe’ & ‘Voodoo Child’?
Okay, you're kidding me right? Not one, but TWO songs with Robert, and we're gonna do Hendrix?!?!
"Hell yeah man, lets do it."
And just like that, I stepped back onstage, this time rockin' with The Family Band themselves, in front of an electrifying crowd, and going toe to toe with the greatest pedal steel player in the world, shredding away right next to me, as I howled right back.
Needless to say, it was one of the most exciting moments of my life, and will be something I cherish for the rest of my life. From a 17 year old kid in the crowd at The Electric Factory, to singing on stage with the band at Ardmore Music Hall, dreams really do come true, sometimes, all you gotta do is ask.
Nik Greeley, Guest Blogger and member of Swift Technique and Nik Greeley & The Operators
