Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise

Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise is a group that could find success only on the jam-band circuit, where the thought of a blind, fiftysomething frontman paired with a trio of youthful alterna-dudes isn’t enough to turn off potential fans. Like many a great soul singer, Bradley started out in church, but his musical career was launched on the streets of Detroit, where his blues-based vocals earned him a substantial following and numerous hatfuls of quarters. Among his most enthusiastic fans was a green rock trio in search of a down-home crooner to flesh out its sound. The teaming proved so successful that it became permanent, and the Blackwater Surprise soon found itself touring alongside noodlers such as Widespread Panic, Big Head Todd and the Dave Matthews Band. Although Bradley and company hardly fit in with these tie-dyed-and-true acts, the quartet’s energetic live sets and pulpit-banging showmanship have won over the staunchest elbow-dancing doubters.