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Powerman 5000
the antidote to
treacly pop

---

By John Berger
Special to the Star-Bulletin

WAR was declared on by-the-numbers producer-driven pop last night and the audience roared in approval at the announcement as Powerman 5000 frontman Spider One denounced the teen pop sound of Britney Spears and her boy-band counterparts.

"I think it's time to take the music back!" Spider roared over the cacophony. The reaction of the crowd -- boos at the mention of Spears, cheers thereafter -- left no doubt that the revolt was in progress as PM5K and Static-X played a dynamic Sunday night double-header at Worlds' (a k a World Cafe).

The bands have been tour partners for much of the year. They came to Honolulu with less promotional support than they deserved but the hardcore fans were there anyway. It was one of the best-balanced double-bills of the year. Two well-matched bands. Two powerful performances.

Static-X -- Wayne Static (vocals/guitar), Koichi Fukuda (guitar), Tony Campos (bass/backing vocals) and Ken Jay (drums) -- did headliner-quality work opening the show with a 50-minute cross-section of the grinding power rock contents of their "Wisconsin Death Trip" album.

Static and Campos led the quartet's attack as eloquent theatrical rock fashion statements. Static had his beard neatly braided and his hair gelled solid and standing straight up off his head. Campos, who growled as lead vocalist several times, let his hair and beard fly free over a multi-colored hockey jersey.

Headliners PM5K opened on a dark stage with the opening "An Eye is Upon You" narrative clip from their current "Tonight the Stars Revolt!" album as their intro. Spider presided with the attitude and charisma of a post-apocalyptic mutant Elvis.

He and the crew -- Al 3 (drums), Dorian 27 (bass), and guitarists Adam 12 and M.33 -- all wore variations of a comic-book biker design that matched the classic sci-fi theme of the album. All five looked like they were having a great time working through most of the songs from it.

"When Worlds Collide" and "Blast Off to Nowhere" were among the highlights in a powerful set.

So it was that when Spider bid the crowd good night after 35 minutes it seemed certain an encore would close the show -- and the storyline of the "Tonight" album -- with the final song off the album, "Watch the Sky For Me."

Wrong!

Al 3 came out first and distributed some final souvenirs. When the others returned, Spider confessed they'd done everything they'd planned to do but would play an "old school" number off their previous "Mega!! Kung Fu Radio" album.

And so the loyalists got "20 Miles to Texas 25 to Hell" as the final shot in a powerful show.

Britney, you shoulda been there!

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