Robert Randolph gets wild in L.A

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Let's get it a little wild in here," Robert Randolph advised before sliding into "Shake Your Hips," which speeds up that ancient blues riff ZZ Top repurposed for "La Grange." He then asked the females in the crowd to come dancing onstage. Within seconds, a half-dozen obliged. By the time the rollicking number ended, there were about 20.

A gimmick? Maybe, but Robert Randolph & the Family Band is all about entertainment. And entertain it did Thursday at the House of Blues.

Fronted by pedal steel whiz Randolph, the jam-leaning band folded any number of styles into a thick mash of feel-good sounds. The opening song, the "Hey Ya!"-like "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That," which leads the band's muscular if polished new Warner Bros. album "Colorblind," celebrates musical diversity while embodying it. Its instantly catchy riff and stomp-clap rhythm supports the lyrics: "Whether it's rock 'n' roll or old soul (it don't matter)/disco, calypso (it don't matter)/Suit and tie or tie-dye (it don't matter)." It featured a '60s-rooted Hammond noodle, near-metal steel leads and some soulful singing. That's practicing what you preach.

From there, the band would hit a groove and stick with it -- or run with it. Six-string bassist Danyel Morgan, the bandleader's cousin, thumped like Bootsy Collins while supplying vocal high notes. Drummer Marcus Randolph, another cousin, set and kept the ballad-free show's pace without drawing undue attention. Keyboardist/violinist Jason Crosby, meanwhile, often was buried in the loud mix and was rarely featured.

But it's Robert Randolph's band -- and show. It was hard to take your eyes off him as he attacked his instrument while dancing in his chair. His obvious glee was as invigorating as the music, which freed the many already-free spirits in the crowd to do some wacky dancing. All the while, notes screamed from the pedal steel with the pace of a

Joe Satriani and the grace of Jimi Hendrix-via-Stevie Ray Vaughan. Randolph, named to Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, also showed his chops when he switched toa glittery red six-string electric guitar.

A trio of covers stood way out. "Jesus Is Just Alright" smoked the Doobies' popular version of the Byrds original, driven by Randolph's electrifying playing. The band also offered interesting free-form instrumental takes on "Billie Jean" and "Voodoo Chile"; neither was learned in the church where Randolph got his start.

Opener Ryan Shaw joined the band for a 15-minute-plus gospel-rock-blues-soul jam that featured Taylor Hicks of "American Idol" holding his own on harmonica. It would be nice to hear this group focus more on songs, but as Randolph remarked after that lenghty workout, "Sometimes you gotta stretch out a bit and have some fun."

Blending genres like Sly Stone while rocking out like a metalhead? Welcome to the Family.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter