The Radiators 1999-06-18

The Radiators
The Call - Providence, RI
June 18, 1999
(download)

The Radiators have much to choose from on archive.org. There are shows stretching back as far as 1979, and ones from just the other day (a show I wished I'd gone to). They are a great band, who's work will make frequent appearances on this blog as time goes by. The Radiators carry with them the sound and feel of their home down in New Orleans. In rhythm: the bass guitar chugs along like a tuba, the drum set sounds like individual instruments, the piano frills along in that Professor Longhair style.

To get what I am talking about, listen to "Come on in my Kitchen." I have heard dozens of bands cover this song in several different styles. It's a common Robert Johnson blues standard that even has its own wikipedia page. The Radiators just slide into the song with a little piano riff. They are in no rush to get things started. The tightest the song gets is during the unison lick on the turnaround, but besides that the song celebrates laid back funk. A rare thing in most of the covers of this song.

With all that said, this Radiators show is a bit different. This acoustic performance from 1999 offers up the funkiness of the Radiators mixed with intensity of an acoustic performance. It is not the only time the band has done this-and I did pick this show a bit randomly-but I wanted to continue on my acoustic music kick. I settled on this particular show, because of the cover of "Soul of a Man" they ended their second set with.

Set l-
You Aint Goin' Nowhere, Back To Loveland, Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home -> Highway 61 -> Honky Tonkin', Girl With The Golden Eyes, Black Dog, Diamond Joe -> Salty Jane, If I Were A Carpenter, My Sweet Nightbird, Soul Of a Man

Set 2-
Come On In My Kitchen, He's Misstra Know-It-All, Rosie, King Of The Road, My Home Is On The Border, Nadine, I Don't Worry About A Thing, Viva Las Vegas, You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond, Parchman Farm

Encore-
Life Ain't Nothing But A Party, For What It's Worth

The run time of this show is 2 hours and 35 minutes. Thanks to whoever uploaded this one. And no, I have no idea what Heatgen is.