If Robert Randolph was not a fairly recognizable figure, the instrument he plays, the pedal steel guitar, would be an instrument absent from the modern music scene. Surprisingly, Randolph is one of the only prominent figures who plays the stringed music making device and if it wasn't for him, there's a good possibility that a lot of people wouldn't even know what the instrument sounds like. It actually sounds fairly similar to the regular electric guitar, but the pedal steel has more panache. Robert Randolph & The Family band have been making music together since 2001 and by opening up for a few well known acts like Dave Matthews Band, Eric Clapton and to a lesser extent O.A.R., the Family Band has become a road tested band that's almost always on tour.