POWDER Live at the Long Beach Pride Festival, May 18, 2003
Live review by Pat Benny


 There is probably a name for this kind of music, but I’ll be damned if an old dinosaur like me would know what that name would be. Twenty years ago, there was a band known as Missing Persons to which Powder bears more than a passing resemblance, but I’m not sure what kind of music they were classified as, either. Powder is more than a band; Powder is a show, of sorts. A cabaret, if you will. It’s kind of like watching The Blue Man Group meets Carrot Top, except that neither of these acts have the fabulous (and I mean fabulous) legs of Powder’s lead singer, Ninette.

 Powder took control of the main stage on Sunday afternoon to the sound of a spaceship landing. Suddenly Ninette was standing there, dressed in some sort of hot pink spacesuit. Not to worry, she doesn’t keep it on for very long. In fact, she doesn’t wear any of her numerous, sexy outfits for very long. Ninette prances about the stage like a life-sized, sugar coated Barbie Doll while she and her band delivered a high-octane, new wave punk sound of high energy rock and roll. What made this act so spectacular to this writer, besides Ninette’s incredible, and I mean incredible legs, was the fact that not only was their set filled with colorful visual gimmicks and audio special effects, this band is musically intact—i.e. they rocked the joint! Absolutely fabulous. Almost as fabulous as Ninette’s…well, you know.

 Amidst giant aliens, jump-roping guys and clones of Ninette, Powder’s lead singer is blessed with a voice that is as fabulous as her…well, you know. Guitarist Phil X delivered solid backing vocals while playing the hell out of his guitar. J-Bo’s drums were as tight and frenetic as Powder’s music requires and Allen Hearn provides the throbbing bass to pull this band’s energy together. Beautiful girls, hula hoops and a box of colorful props help provide a never-ending visual display that is equal to the music of this band. This band is so talented that they really don’t need beautiful, scantily clad girls to throw condoms and tubes of Preparation H into the audience, but it was such great fun! Powder was actually able to get a response from a crowd that had been remarkably quiet and reserved throughout the week-end. Because of time restraints, Powder was the only band I’d seen that was allowed an encore. They made good use of it by returning with their rendition of “I’m Turning Japanese.” Ninettte wore a striped thong and two plates of sushi covering her breasts.

 To summarize, let me say that this is a band of top notch musicians who are also a hill of fun to watch. Colorful, visual, and completely unique. I’m going on the Net right now to find out where I can see them again. You can do the same and also order a CD at: http://www.Powdermusic.com. 


--Pat Benny