The Radiators

Over the past several months, the Radiators have received more national and international exposure than at any point since their late-'70s launch -- but the attention has come at a heavy price. The bayou-rock band calls New Orleans home, and after that city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, reporters sought...

By Michael Roberts

December 15, 2005

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Over the past several months, the Radiators have received more national and international exposure than at any point since their late-'70s launch -- but the attention has come at a heavy price. The bayou-rock band calls New Orleans home, and after that city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, reporters sought out folks like bassist Reggie Scanlon, whose quotes subsequently turned up in London's Guardian newspaper and other far-flung publications. In addition, the group was placed on the bill of ReAct Now: Music & Relief, a Katrina benefit, alongside Alicia Keys, Trent Reznor, Maroon 5 and plenty of other big names. (The telethon was broadcast on several major cable networks, including MTV, a channel that wouldn't have spotlighted the Radiators under normal circumstances unless the performers had broken into the studio armed with M16s.) Things have improved slightly since then; the band is scheduled to perform at Tipitina's, one of the Big Easy's most legendary venues, shortly before its batch of local dates. Publicity aside, Scanlon and company undoubtedly prefer such gigs to the sort spurred by catastrophe.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo