Sacred music has been thoroughly intertwined with rock ‘n’ roll since its earliest days. Elvis Presley made gospel albums, there’s plenty of fire and brimstone in Jerry Lee Lewis’s piano boogie, and Little Richard became, for a time, a minister. New Jersey pedal steel virtuoso Robert Randolph, who grew up in the House of God with its Sacred Steel music, admirably continues the tradition of representing for his faith while rocking hard.
Touring behind his first solo album (on his previous records, he shared billing with his Family Band), Preacher Kids, released earlier this year, Randolph and his ace band shook the house and brought the spirit in their recent appearance at The Atlantis.
And, boy, did they ever get loud: This is probably the loudest show I’ve seen at this venue. On August 28, they turned their amps up so high, I couldn’t always tell exactly which song they were playing. But even when I couldn’t identify the song, Randolph and his band sounded amazing.
On the surface, it might seem curious that two Jewish guys — myself and photographer Ari Strauss — covered this show. But it’s really not; faith is a major, recurring theme in popular music, whether that music gets labeled as “religious” or “secular.” I’ve said before that I love real gospel music, but I’d rather be beaten with a sack full of quarters than listen to Christmas music, which is almost always sentimental to the point of being syrupy, hyper-commercialized crap. Religious and biblical language imagery pops up all over the place — Dylan’s “Forever Young” liberally borrows from the ancient Jewish Priestly Blessing, for instance — and many of the best themes in good religious music are pretty similar to those in secular songs: love, compassion, empathy.
And make no mistake, Robert Randolph is writing and performing great religious music, with songs like “Baptize Me,” but he also embraces worldly concerns in tunes like “I’d Like To Love You Baby” (one of the evening’s more fun bits was when, in the middle of this song, the band when into the theme from the classic 70s sitcom Sanford & Son, which is an absolute banger), “I Need More Love,” and “Roosevelt Pool.” And he finished with the Jimi Hendrix classic “Foxy Lady!”
Robert’s “7 Generations” is all about family and heritage. His playing and singing embrace the ecstasy and joy of worship, are full of joy and hope.
Watch the official music video for “7 Generations” by Robert Randolph on YouTube:
It’s also good music because, as I’ve said, these are incredible musicians: Randolph has been nominated for four Grammy awards. And he’s a highly sought-after collaborator who’s worked with folks like Beyonce, John Medeski, and the North Mississippi All-Stars in a variety of projects.
Blessed Offor, a Grammy-nominated Christian singer-songwriter originally from Nigeria, opened the show with a mix of covers and original tunes, beginning with a medley of “You Are So Beautiful/Have I Told You Lately” to “warm up the room.” He moved onto an original song, “Lift Me Up,” from his album Real, which he explained is about the experience of finally achieving a goal, only for it to be a letdown. This in an evergreen theme for artists: We all seem to find that when we accomplish something, life just goes on, usually pretty much the same, to quote David Byrne, “as it ever was.” He also did an original called “The Morning,” along with a few more covers: “Gravity,” “Brighter Days,” and “Purple Rain,” calling Prince “the best to ever occupy a stage.”
Even if you don’t share Randolph’s religious commitments — I don’t — this was still an incredible show, one that you could enjoy for the dazzling virtuosity and raw, electric energy of the performance. It’s music that can appeal to a lot of different people in different ways.
Here are some photos of Robert Randolph performing live at The Atlantis on August 28, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Ari Strauss.
