The Radiators

by Richard Skelly
The Radiators got started on January 28, 1978, during a rehearsal in the garage of one of the bandmembers; by the late 80s, they had become one of New Orleans most popular rock & roll bands, serving up a smorgasbord of musical styles that included blues, R&B, funk, and rootsy rock & roll. Founding members keyboardist/vocalist Ed Volker and guitarist/vocalist Camile Baudoin began playing together in the 1960s. Drummer Frank Bua began working with the two in 1970, and guitarist Dave Malone and bassist Reggie Scanlan played with other New Orleans bands until they formed as the Rhapsodizers in the mid-70s. They changed their name to the Radiators in 1978 and released their debut, Work Done on Premises, two years later on their own Croaker Records. Heat Generation followed in 1982, and the band began to develop a loyal following in the Crescent City by the time percussionist Glenn Sears joined in early 80s, making them a sextet. The Radiators developed a reputation for intense, lengthy marathon-like live shows that would last three hours or more, akin to what the Allman Brothers and Little Feat were doing; their shows became highlights of the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and word of their reputation spread. In 1987, after a six-year hiatus, the Radiators signed to Epic Records and released Law of the Fish, followed two years later with Zig-Zaggin Through Ghostland. After the release of Total Evaporation in 1991, the band issued Snafu 10-31-91, 1995s New Dark Ages, and 1996s Party On. The group continued being active into the new millennium, releasing the self-titled The Radiators in 2001 and Dreaming Out Loud in 2006.