LET'S RADIATE!!

Educate me on Radiators. Where should I start?

I've always took them as a New Orleans, live, good times kinda band... Not my thing, but a lot of people my age love them..

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Educate me on Radiators. Where should I start?

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Yikes...that's a tough one!


The Rads are like the Dead in that they aren't a studio album band. Yes, their studio albums are good, but the magic is unleashed at the shows. Their song repertoire is at something like 1700+... They do a lot of covers of 'semi-obscure 50's and '60's rock 'n roll songs and add a massive dose of "boogie-woogie". Their original songs all seem to have a happy vibe that just makes you smile when you turn the volume knob up--and you should turn the knob up--it'll make you want to shake your arse!!

That is the best way I can describe the Radiators music.

Now, for where to start...

They released a few live CDs over the years and a couple stand out...

One is a single CD called "Bucket of Fish" and was recorded in 1992, I believe, in St. Paul, MN. It is fantastic. The tune "Straight Eight" off that disc is one of my all time favorite jams ever--from any band--Camille Boudoin just shreds on this track.

The second is a double CD recorded at Tips during Mardi Gras in 2003, I think, and is their 25th anniversary release. It is called "Earth vs. The Radiators", and had guests Gregg Allman and the Bonerama horns. It too, is fantastic.

As studio goes, the most popular is 1987 "Law of the Fish"...good record.
One of my favorite studio CDs from them is "New Dark Ages"--1993-'94??--I think.

If you like the live stuff, "The Last Watussi" is a 3 CD live compilation of a 3 night run from Tipitinas recorded from the Rads last 3 shows when they officially decided to retire after 33 1/3 years...awesome stuff.

They now only play as the Radiators twice a year--an annual 3 night run at Tips in January, and an appearance at their home stage at Jazz Fest.

They all still play around town in other groups and other projects.

There is a live show database on this band that closely mimics that of the Dead and Phish--hundreds and hundreds of recorded shows exist.

Hope their sound infects you!

One of my favs is the early Work Done On Premises live album. Great band, always puts me in a partying kind of mood.
Total Evaporation is another good one from when they were signed to Epic Records. Love Camille and Dave's guitar playing! My mom actually grew up with Dave and Tommy Malone in Edgard. Cool cats.

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They all still play around town in other groups and other projects.

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Raw Oyster Cult played at NOLA Brewery last night..

work done on premises is all you need to get started
back when I was at Loyola in mid eighties you could walk in to tips and boogie down with the radiators with a couple dozen people in the place, for 5 bucks (or free if you took care of the bouncer)

shite we hired them to play at our fraternity formal twice