The Sandpiper Lounge, a funky dive at 2119 Louisiana Ave., is the venue where guitarist/vocalist Billy Iuso holds court these days, and judging from this live recording, Iuso and his Restless Natives are well worth venturing out to hear. He is also a valuable member of the terrific 101 Runners, and he has worked on the fundamentals and done the hard work of improving his follow-through as a guitarist and leader of his funky jam band. The band’s tight-knit arrangements and passion for the game are much in evidence here, and Iuso gives his jam band fans the unusual cover they’ve come to expect from him with a New Orleans arrangement of the Talking Heads classic, “Once in a Lifetime.”

Unfortunately it’s hard to recommend this record as more than a souvenir of an enjoyable night out. The mix is horrendous with Michael Burkart’s bass and Bryan Besse’s drums both far too prominent at the expense of Iuso’s excellent but difficult to discern guitar playing, and Iuso’s vocals are muddy to the point of distraction. The latter point is particularly unfortunate because he seems to be singing with real conviction, particularly on “Inner City Blues,” “Call My Job” and Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Meatman.” For a much better representation of the actual sound of what Iuso is doing, check out his studio release from last year, Paradise Lost… And Found.