THE RADIATORS | NEW ORLEANS

The Radiators wandered into Tipitina's with a humble and friendly nonchalance. The smiles on their faces revealed the fact that they were about to put on yet another great show.

They drew extensively from their catalog of originals in the first set, at one point featuring a five song run of tunes off the new album. It was a long first set and it was good. The second set contained more covers than you could shake a fist at. It was beautiful loud emotional madness.

The first set featured singer and guitarist Dave Malone taking an insane amount of scorching solos. It showcased the songwriting abilities of keyboard player Ed Volker and demonstrated why the Radiators are still a relevant and important band. Relevant because they are still writing good music, their new songs just as strong as the vintage classics. Important because they have been around 23 years with all of the original members still intact. What this means is that the Rads are tight as hell, know how to consistently put on a good performance, write an appropriate setlist, and project great sound. It also doesn't hurt that they each play their instruments very, very well.

The meat of the first set was comprised of the new songs "Wrong Road," "Driver," "I Don't Speak Love," "Long Way Down," and "Fugitive Dreams." These songs were delivered with focused emotional intensity and revealed sudden hidden pockets of hard charging, meander-free jamming.

Covers dominated the 2nd set. The covers selected by the band and the distinctly Radiated performance of this music illustrated why the Radiators are certified ambassadors of 20th century blues, folk, and rock music. They are torchbearers, carrying on for those that burned out or faded away, and it is for this reason that they can cover songs no other bands should touch.

The set started innocently enough with Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen." Next came a blistering and jammed out "For What It's Worth" (Buffalo Springfield) and this is when things got a little crazy, got a little nuts. The Radiators morphed into the psychedelic live rock n' roll jukebox of my dreams. The jam out of "For What It's Worth" wound down and revealed “Dead Flowers” (Stones). “Dead Flowers” slowly built momentum and landed the band smack dab in the middle of the Beatles "I Got a Feeling."

From this point forward, my notes get a little hazy. I blame it on Ed Volker and his alter ego Zeke. Zeke was delivering intense, trance inducing lyrics, channeling some otherworldly voodoo and screaming with charged soul. He caused my sense of time and linear progression to become skewed and distorted. So while the order may be off, I can tell you that the Rads played “Smokestack Lightning” (Howling Wolf), Van Morrison's "Gloria," Clapton's "After Midnight," and The McCoys’ "Hang On Sloopy."

Zeke's performance proved to me that he is, without a doubt, the jolliest, friendliest madman and musical shaman I'd ever want to meet. His inspired ranting was augmented by the blaring guitars of Camile and Dave, their interweaving solos a barrage of long, furious runs up and down the necks of their guitars. These forays and Zeke's carrying on were anchored and driven by mild mannered bass player/Professor Longhair alum Reggie Scanlan and forceful drummer Frank Bua. At the end of the set, Dave Malone was reduced to yelling "Bua!" over and over into his microphone.

The encore brought "Papaya" and "I’m In the Mood." It left me appreciative of what the Radiators do and thankful that I had the opportunity to see them in a half-full Tipitina’s with a motley collection of friendly yet unruly Fishheads.

Billy Thinnes
JamBase Crescent City Correspondent
Go See Live Music!

Set 1: Roll Me Over, Wrong Road->Driver, I Don't Speak Love, Long Way Down, Fugitive Dreams->River Run, Honey From The Bee->Heart Aint In It, Mess Around->All Meat->Last Getaway->Little Sadie
Set 2: Come On In My Kitchen, For What It's Worth, Dead Flowers->I've Got A Feelin'->Jump Into The Fire->I've Got A Feelin', Train They Call The Cannonball->Smokestack Lightning->Cannonball, Last Time->Sloopy->Gloria->Midnight Hour->After Midnight->Speakeasy->Gloria
E: Papaya->I'm In The Mood