Drag out all the usual heat-seeking hyperboles.

Fiery. Searing. Incendiary. Explosive.

Walter Trout and the Free Radicals were all that and more during Friday night's sweltering show at Skipper's Smokehouse. The Free Radicals weren't the only thing cooking. Temperatures in the low 90s ensured that the audience was as hot as the band.

But no one seemed to mind. They simply quaffed more cool bottles of Red Stripe beer.

Trout's appearance was a gift-wrapped "thank you'' to the Suncoast Blues Society, celebrating its third anniversary with a big birthday bash. There were raffles, birthday cake and some other surprises.

A big crowd of 659, according to one wag (named Vince), showed up to pay their props.

Hats off to Larry Lisk and Ken Torvik, the organization's founders, who have done a spectacular job. In just three years, the Suncoast Blues Society has grown from a handful of members to become the largest blues club in the Southeast, with nearly 700 members.

In fact, it was the Blues Society that helped bring Walter Trout to the Tampa Bay Blues Fest in March. Trout was such a hit that Lisk and Torvik invited him back for Friday night's encore.

Trout was revved and ready, delivering a big double set of blues on the rocks. He and his Free Radicals chewed up a good chunk of the ozone layer with their high-wattage fireworks. The band includes Trout (guitar and vocals), James Trapp (bass), Bernard Pershey (drums) and Paul Kallestad (keyboards).

Trout's style is fast and furious, exploring the fretboard with an improvisatory zeal comparable to jazz players. He crams a million notes into every measure, but it's a natural outgrowth of his technique (a la Johnny Winter) rather than a show-off effect.

One fan confessed she found his style ''too busy,'' but later recanted, saying he had "grown on'' her. One reason for that was Trout's convincing vocals, which were impressive on songs like "I Can Tell'' and "Walkin' in the Rain.''

Trout proved to have a strong stage presence, too, making funny faces (we don't know whether they're intentional or not!) and moving around enough to keep the audience's attention.

The guitarist evokes a rich tone from his weathered, cream-color Fender Stratocaster. It sounds like he uses heavy strings, perhaps a .13-gauge on the high E, much like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Smokin' Joe Kubek and other six-string gunslingers.

Back in March, Trout recorded his performance at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival, and many at Friday night's show were aware a two-CD package was coming this month. Rumors circulated that Trout would be selling a few pre-release CD packages at the Skipper's show.

Near the end of the first set, a man carrying a mysterious cardboard box made his way to the Suncoast Blues Society booth. It was filled with copies of "Live Trout.'' The $20 discs sold like proverbial hot cakes, with fans snatching two or three copies apiece right out of the box. Within moments, they were gone.

The Free Radicals stuck pretty much to their blues-fest repertoire, offering some "down and dirty blues'' with "The Reason I'm Gone'' and a tribute to Trout's son with "Livin' Every Day.''

Contrary to popular belief, good musicians DO perform cover tunes, and Trout delighted the audience with hard-jammin' versions of Elmore James' "Dust My Broom'' and Jimi Hendrix's "Red House.''

He even doodled on a few riffs from "The Phantom of the Opera.''

"If it comes from here, it's the blues,'' he said, touching his fist to his heart.

Judging by Trout's successful show at Skipper's, you can probably count on a return visit to the Tampa Bay area.

For many, it won't be soon enough.