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Robert Bradley’s
Blackwater
Surprise
The Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale
February 21, 2004
Story: Kelly Morrissey
The Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale always has an eclectic
blend of patrons and Saturday, February 21 was no exception. At
10pm, I didn’t just enter the Culture Room; I entered the church
of Robert Bradley. Attending a RBBS show is like being in a
really cool gospel church and Bradley is the star of the choir. It
feels much less like a concert and much more like an inspirational
religious experience. There was a very friendly vibe and I
had the opportunity to “fellowship” with some of his fans before
the show. I discovered that many of those in attendance were
long-time fans of the passionate Detroit-based singer. Many
said they were first turned-on to Bradley in the mid-90s when his
first self-titled disc with RBBS was released.
The diverse congregation eagerly waited as the crew set up on
stage. The band took stage and picked up their instruments, as
Robert Bradley was led out to the microphone by his road manager.
Ready to greet his following, Mr. Bradley was every bit of
class in a dark suit. Eyes were glued on him as he took the
microphone and began to sing, ”For the Night”, an old favorite
with a great mix of upbeat jazz and rock and roll elements. His
warm, rich, raspy voice filled the room and he had everyone’s
attention. Then he screamed, “Hello, Fort Lauderdale!” and introduced
the members of his band, providing a funny story about
each one. First he introduced the newest member of his band,
the drummer, Michael Cramton. “He wanted me to tell ya’ll that
even though he’s white, he’s black from the waist down.” Next
up was his guitarist, Russ Epker, who is nicknamed “Sweet”.
When Bradley introduced his bassist, William Jackson he explained
that Jackson had been playing bass for a long time and
Bradley invited him to come out on the road. “He’s married with
kids and he was getting on their nerves, so he had to come on
the road with me.” Bradley said he wouldn’t mess with organist
Randy Sly because Randy is a black belt and “…Randy will kick
my ass.” Lastly, Bradley called his lead guitarist over to his
side. He put his arm around Matt “Mutt” Ruffino and told the
crowd that Matt was a bloodhound. “Wherever we are, Matt can
sniff out the marijuana. If you’re holding, he’ll find you.”
Marijuana was a favorite topic throughout the evening and there
were many more anecdotes in between songs. After the second
song, “Bellybone”, Bradley paused and addressed the
crowd. “If ya’ll have any marijuana, I’m in need. I’m
out. Marijuana makes me sing better and it makes
me hear better. I can’t drink and drive but I can smoke
and drive. Marijuana makes me drive better.” The
crowd broke out into laughter, because, you see (pardon
the pun), Mr. Bradley is blind. People say that
when you have a loss or a deficit of one of your
senses, the strength of your other senses is increased.
Proof for this theory seems to lie with Mr.
Bradley. Robert Bradley’s voice is amazing, his music
writing skills are inspirational, and he has a great
sense of humor. He also has a great sense of his
audience. He touched us with his music, his funny
stories, and his witty banter with the band and the
crowd.
After Bradley introduced his crew, he asked the band
to wave to the audience. Then he asked the audience
if the band waved. The crowd responded in the
affirmative and Bradley replied, “Sometimes they be
like, ‘Robert can’t see shit and we don’t feel like waving’
so they don’t wave! I’m glad they ain’t fuckin’
with me tonight.” He then laughed and said, “Oh,
boy! Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy comin’ out
tonight. They comin’ out like twins!”
Bradley also told the crowd that his brother would be
out front in a bit with merchandise: some CD’s and t-
shirts. “I looked at the t-shirts and they don’t look like
much, but go ahead and buy ‘em. Me? I’d rather
look at a nice, big ass! I get up real close,” he says
as he makes a motion like he’s moving toward a big
ass, “and then I grab it! You should try it sometime!”
40 • RAG MAGAZINE • APRIL 2004