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Robert Randolph & The Family Band Hit the Road With The Black Crowes

Acclaimed Pedal Steel Guitarist Launches Summer Tour in Anticipation of New Album Due This Fall on Warner Bros. Records

Robert Randolph & The Family Band, led by the critically heralded pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, will hit the road this summer as special guests of The Black Crowes. The nine-week tour, which launches June 10th in Seattle, will criss-cross the U.S. into mid-August and play to more than 400,000 fans over thirty-eight dates.

Following the tour with The Black Crowes, The Family Band will also join Dave Matthews Band on the road for several shows, including stops in California, Utah, Colorado, and the two final sold-out shows of the tour at the new John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia. In addition, Randolph and the band will perform at this year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 16th in Manchester, Tennessee, along with Radiohead, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, and Bonnie Raitt. The Family Band has appeared at Bonnaroo every year since the festival's inception in 2002, except for last year when Randolph performed with Luther Dickinson, Chris Crew, and Cody Dickinson of North Mississippi All-Stars and John Medeski of Medeski, Martin & Wood as part of The Word.

Critics have waxed lyrical about The Family Band's jubilant, roof-raising live shows, praising Randolph's "raucous showmanship" in Daily Variety, and calling him "an energetic and inspiring presence...a time-stopping, trouble-erasing wizard who engages his listeners to march, press on, stomp their feet, clap their hands, and scream," in Rolling Stone.

The summer tour dates lead up to the fall release of Randolph's as-yet-untitled new album, the follow-up to "Unclassified," his Grammy-nominated 2003 debut on Dare/WBR. The new album is said to be a potent mix of rock, funk, country, blues, and gospel, showcasing The Family Band's dazzling musicianship, as well as Randolph's powerful vocal chops. It is being produced by studio vets Mark Batson (Dave Matthews Band, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Gwen Stefani) and Drew & Shannon (The Temptations, India.Arie, Johnny Lang, Marc Broussard), as well as top gospel producer/songwriter Tommy Sims (Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton).

Robert Randolph & The Family Band's upcoming tour dates with The Black
Crowes and Drive-By Truckers are as follows:

June
10       Seattle, WA           White River Amphitheatre
11       Ridgefield, WA        Clark County Amphitheatre
13       Sacramento, CA        Sleep Train Amphitheatre
14       Los Angeles, CA       Greek Theatre
17       San Diego, CA         Concerts in the Park
18       Mountain View, CA     Shoreline Amphitheatre
23       St. Louis, MO         UMB Bank Pavilion
24       Chicago, IL           Charter One Pavilion
25       Pittsburgh, PA        Chevrolet Amphitheatre
27       Nashville, TN         Amsouth Amphitheatre
28       Birmingham, AL        Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
30       Dallas, TX            Smirnoff Amphitheatre

July
1        San Antonio, TX       Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
2        Houston, TX           Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
3        Austin, TX            The Backyard
6        Atlanta, GA           HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
7        Tampa, FL             Ford Amphitheatre
8        West Palm Beach, FL   Sound Advice Amphitheatre
11       Charlotte, NC         Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
12       Raleigh, NC           Alltel Pavilion @ Walnut Creek
14       Virginia Beach, VA    Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
16       Atlantic City, NJ     Borgata
18       Uncasville, CT        Mohegan Sun Arena
19       Wantagh, NY           Tommy Hilfiger @ Jones Beach
21       Scranton, PA          Toyota Pavilion
22       Holmdel, NJ           PNC Bank Arts Center
23       Boston, MA            Tweeter Center
25       Darien Center, NY     Darien Lakes Amphitheatre
26       Detroit, MI           DTE Energy Music Theater
28       Cleveland, OH         Tower City Amphitheatre
29       Philadelphia, PA      Penn's Landing
30       Saratoga Springs, NY  SPAC

August
1        Columbus, OH          TBA
3        Milwaukee, WI         Marcus Amphitheatre
4        Indianapolis, IN      Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
5        Cincinnati, OH        Riverbend Music Center
6        Somerset, WI          Float Rite Park Amphitheatre
12       Morrison, CO          Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Robert Randolph & The Family Band's upcoming tour dates with the Dave
Matthews Band are as follows:

August
25       Irvine, CA            Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
26       Chula Vista, CA       Coors Amphitheatre
28       Los Angeles, CA       Hollywood Bowl
30       West Valley City, UT  USANA Amphitheatre

September
6        Sacramento, CA        Raley Field
8-9      Mountain View, CA     Shoreline Amphitheatre
12-13    Denver, CO            Pepsi Arena
22-23    Charlottesville, VA   John Paul Jones Arena