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Review and Photos by Matt Schwenke
Casually checking equipment and tuning up guitars, the Radiators slowly filled the stage at Shank Hall and slowly slipped into a groove that is all their own. With their warm sourthern rock sound, the Radiators vented their musical energy and the crowd absorbed.Playing together for over 25 years, the Radiators always find a way to make their shows both fun and interesting. Representing the fun part of the show, the Radiators covered two classic tunes that had the whole room singing along. The first was "Black Is Black" by the Spanish quintet Los Bravos, and the second was "You Never Can Tell" by Chuck Berry. As guitarists Camile Baudoin and Dave Malone traded off solo spots with keboardist Ed Volker, the band couldn't help but smile as they jammed out sections of songs and surprised even themselves. After one particularly long jam, Baudoin said laughing, "We come up with stuff we don't even know sometimes."
Representing the interesting part of the show, the Radiators played two originals that are creative and strong. The first is "It's My Poison"-- a driving rock tune that features Malone's gritty, bar room voice that is still softer than Tom Waits'. The second great original they played was "Wild and Free"-- a much more wandering tune with Malone singing without the grit. Volker also sings on some songs and did well to open the show on vocals and keys. Credit must be given to the rhythm section as well. Not only did drummer Frank Bua and bassist Reggie Scanlan hold a tight grove all night, they were creative in accenting the rest of the bands' solos.