Date: June 21st 2023
Opening Band: Lower Case Blues

Rocking The Docks concert series kicked off the season and the Summer but not the way it was intended. Robert Randolph was supposed to perform the festival at Lewes Ferry Grounds (Grain on the Rocks) but there was such bad wind and rain, the festival organizers couldn’t put up the stage. They moved the show indoors to Coastal Taproom in Rehoboth Beach. While this was not originally planned, the wind and rain didn’t damper the night as Lower Case Blues and Robert Randolph band performed awesome sets to the sold out crowd.

I’ve never been to Coastal Taproom or seen any of the bands before so I was looking forward to taking pictures and seeing some music I don’t normally see. Lower Case Blues from Delaware play blues and rock, I’ve definitely seen their name pop up in this area since I moved down here from NJ/NY. They definitely play in the coastal Delaware area a lot. It was great to finally see them in person because there’s loads of talent there. The combo of Jake on guitar and B.J. on the bass was fun to watch. You can get their albums on Bandcamp.

After Lower Case Blues, more and more people gathered closer to the small stage to see Robert Randolph perform in such an intimate setting like this. He has been on tour with Trombone Shorty, Ziggy Marley and others in bigger venues but everyone at Coastal Taproom got to be up close and personal. The band started off with “I’m So Glad” and it was hard not to just gaze at Robert Randolph’s hands as he worked the pedal steel guitar. Robert stood up to perform a few times with a slide guitar(?). His other bandmates were equally impressive in their own ways as they played a cover of “Jesus is Just Alright” and other bluesy jam rock songs. “I Need More Love” was played of course, which I was happy about since that’s how I know about Robert Randolph. The crowd was certainly feeling it for that song but the entire show honestly.

The weather may have been miserable but thankfully Rocking the Docks managed to keep this show alive. The result was a bunch of people got to see some great music in a smaller setting and some bragging rights that they were there that night at Coastal Taproom. Rocking the Docks continues next week with reggae artists Joe Samba and Dry Reef (June 28th), hopefully at Lewes Ferry Grounds.

Some photos from the night:

Lower Case Blues

Robert Randolph Band