Breakers Begins June With The Radio Alive

Vince Basile aka The Radio Alive performed three amazing sets at Breakers Kitchen & Tap, located at 537 Route 9 in Waretown, on June 1. My reason for showing up on this particular evening was that my future wife and I had heard this gentleman perform briefly while visiting the Mellow Mushroom in Toms River a few months ago and were interested in hearing more. Besides, the chicken wings at Breakers were also an added bonus.

From the very first chords strummed on his acoustic guitar, one could tell that there was something very special about this performer. While he may refer to himself as The Radio Alive, he was definitely hitting tunes from all of the stations. He flipped the dial with his fingers and vocal prowess through classic rock, contemporary pop, country and r&b. He even altered a few lyrics so that he could convincingly perform "Piano Man." What was interesting for me was how he was able to handle the smoothness of Billy Joel's voice and then switch over to the raspiness of Chris Stapleton's growl.

The medley of "Cruise," "Wagon Wheel" and "Chicken Fried" turned the entire bar area into a sing-along. Speaking with Basile during one of his breaks, he revealed to me that he was once connected to a record label and performing original songs, where he did receive some assistance form Michael Bolton. He even remembered one of the acts that I used to work with in the 90's. I believe that these memories led him to perform an inspired medley that included songs from Poison, Skid Row, Whitesnake and Bon Jovi.

From "Drops Of Jupiter" to "3AM" to even "Santeria," The Radio Alive never lost the crowd, and this included when a wedding party made their way into the venue. He even threw in the standard audience participation numbers of "Friends In Low Places" and "Sweet Caroline." The Radio Alive will be at the Mellow Mushroom in Toms River on June 7; Tuckers in Beach Haven on June 8; the Mainland in Manahawkin on June 15 and MJs in Bayville on June 26. To check out his full schedule, visit his facebook page at facebook.com/theradioalive . So the next time you find yourself at one of his shows, order a cold one and prepare for a good time.