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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend July 2, 2006 Despite rough start, Radiators rock Britt "Got a little bit of New Orleans here today," Dave Malone told a small but enthusiastic Britt crowd mid-way through The Radiators' set Saturday night. It was a strange segue, because it led not into any N'Orleans music but into Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," which the Rads gave a good ride with Ed Volker's keyboards and Camile Baudoin's razor guitar leads urging Malone on. It was the seventh tune of a set that found the Rads in regulation good form with Malone and Volker singing with conviction, Baudoin sending waves of sweet, sharp guitar leads up the hillside and the rock-ribbed rhythm section of bassist Reggie Scanlan and drummer Frank Bua, Jr. doing their thing surely and steady. After nearly 4,000 shows in 28 years since they started playing rootsy rock, blues and New Orleans funk/soul/Zydeco in a garage, these guys know each other's moves. This is a band that plays within itself, and it is difficult to imagine them playing a bad show. The same cannot be said for Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, the opening band, which had a day from hell and struggled mightily to make the best of it. Neville is a scion of one of New Orleans' foremost musical families, but he's still subject to the luck of the breaks. Advertisement The band found itself in Victoria, B.C., this morning, flew to Portland and found that the airline lost some of their gear. They didn't arrive in Jacksonville until about 7 p.m., the time the show was supposed to start. They started cold, a half-hour late, and immediately ran into equipment troubles, broken guitar strings and a muddy mix that buried Neville's voice. They sounded like they were way over Britt's 95-decibel limit on their first couple of songs, beginning with a plodding version of "Woke Up This Morning" (the theme song from "The Sopranos"). Then the volume went down, moving a disgruntled Neville to complain about the sound. By this time the band was earning a charter membership in the Not Ready for Prime Time club. Neville never seemed to connect with the audience. He wore shades and didn't face the crowd, and his vocals were often indistinct. In fairness, the band finally found a more confident funk groove in their last numbers, during which they seemed to be led not by Neville by energetic bass and guitar player Tony Hall. As a result of all the trouble, the Radiators didn't start until almost 9 p.m., although that still gave them time to get in their full 90-minute gig. They started with a sly, sinewy "Holiday," Volker's vocals dueling with Malone's muscular guitar. "Seven Devils" chugged along pleasantly, fueled by Baudoin's blistering guitar work. They played R&B like "The Man Who Lost His Head" and classics like a curiously desultory version of The Beatles' "Dear Prudence," which is a terrific stretch-out tune if anybody wants to stretch it. "Last Getaway" showcased the band's ability to take a tune and crank it higher and higher without losing control, or ever hitting a false note. Fishhead music is no-nonsense music, a gimmick-free zone, the real deal, a rootsy bouillabaisse, hot and spicy. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s Advertisement