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Radiodaze
Revisited: New Faces, New Songs, New Gig
And then there are the songs, which can be heard in all their high-energy in-your-face glory at Sharks Nite Club in Destin. “We’ve gone back and learned a lot of retro stuff,” Bradley says. In addition to their winning mix of modern and classic rock, there’s a nice touch of funk. It’s obvious new axe man Jacob Newman grew up listening to Sly and James Brown records as well as the familiar guitar heroes. Drummer Steve Camilleri hails from Memphis, and has spent the last couple of years kicking out the jams around town with Jim Couch, Jones & Company, and countless others. “Drive fast, take chances,” says new bassist Jerry Vinci who played with Newman for six years in the band None Other. At best, Radiodaze employs a take no prisoners approach, and the integrity of the musicians is never in question. Ball wails away on the Jet smash Are You Gonna Be My Girl? without making the gender switch, and her commendable stab at Liz Phair’s Why Can’t I? is the uncensored version. Good for her. “This bar is awesome,” Ball says. “It’s got a great vibe, great people. Totally unpretentious.”
Club manager Janice Dill couldn’t be more satisfied with Atlanta’s own. “We were absolutely lucky to get them,” she says. Sharks opened below LaRocco’s restaurant during Memorial Day weekend under the banner “Take a bite out of night life, not out of your wallet.” With the high-energy rock sounds of Radiodaze added to the mix, Sharks offers an irresistible package. Other clubs’ commitment to live music—or lack thereof—is a big concern for musicians like Bradley, who continues to play in Atlanta on occasion. “It would be so much easier for (the club owners) to put up a bunch of TVs and cop to the sports bar mentality. People need to go out and see live music. A lot of kids accept the Britney Spears canned music, lip-synching.” Dill says the band’s unfiltered sound—the live voices and lack of “accompaniment,” she calls it—is just what this town needs. Whether it’s a supercharged Jessie’s Girl, a tried-and-true classic like Honky Tonk Women, or even a negligible recent song like Drops of Jupiter, Radiodaze makes this stuff their own. The arrangement of I Will Survive is especially inventive, allowing Bradley to work a trumpet solo into the not-quite-disco—but still very danceable—vibe of the Gloria Gaynor-Tony Clifton favorite. Radiodaze appears to be more energized than ever, as Bradley dashes and bounces around the Sharks stage, threatening to steal away the title from The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. Is it the new blood in the band? The fresh locale? Are these “four a**holes and a chick”—as Camilleri jokingly describes the group—chugging a six-pack of Amp before they hit the stage? Don’t ponder the endless possibilities, just go out and listen to the music. And bring your dancing shoes. SIDEBAR: WHO? Radiodaze:
Robin Ball—guitar, keyboards, vocals; Todd Bradley—lead
vocals, keyboards, occasional trumpet; Steve Camilleri—drums;
Jacob Newman—lead guitar; Jerry Vinci—bass. |
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Last
time I saw Radiodaze, they were playing at Harry T’s. Todd
Bradley mentioned his affection for former boss Sly Stone, and
Robin Ball made clear her love for Rick Springfield. Since then,
Springfield and Sly have both released new CDs, Harry T’s
has closed its doors, and Radiodaze has added three fantastic
new musicians to the lineup.
Bradley
adds, “We’ve played at AJ’s, Harry T’s,
and the Village Door, but this place has the best vibe in town.
It’s a very warm atmosphere, a great venue—one of
the only places in town where the focus is on the live music.”Copyright © The Beachcomber, Inc. 2003 - 2008. All rights reserved.