Neverwonder
Viper Room
West Hollywood

[INSET: Joy Pearson Photo by Bob Leggett
CAPTION: Neverwonder: Strong rock & roll with socially conscious content.]

Contact: Doug Deutsch PR, 213-924-4901; bluzmon@sprintpcs.com

Web: neverwonder.com; My Space.com/neverwonder

Players: Joy Pearson, vocals, percussion; Vincent Ramos, bass; Andres Ramos, drums; Flint Mavis, guitar.
Material: Neverwonder follows the "take no prisoners" approach to rock & roll, with a sound that provides pyrotechnics without the necessity of fireworks. Featuring the piercing vocals of Joy Pearson, the lyrics speak out on social issues, such as how the lack of parental responsibility contributes to acts of violence like the attacks at Virginia Tech and Columbine.

Musicianship: Mavis shreds the air with his raucous guitar riffs, on top of a perfect foundation laid down by the Ramos brothers. Pearson's vocals keep the focus on the songs' messages, as she drives her points home. Unfortunately, Pearson is often forced to yell instead of sing, in part due to the loudness of the band which tends to detract from the overall presentation.

Performance: Sporting combat boots and a pink top from the band's new sponsor, Monarch Clothing, Pearson owned the stage as she took control of the audience. She oozed chemistry and compatibility, regardless of whether she was interacting with the audience or her bandmates. She possessed a totally natural feel for the music and the presentation. Indeed, she was like poetry in motion. Commenting that this was the band's first trip to the Viper Room after playing all the other clubs on the Sunset Strip provided the perfect segue to the song "Everywhere." Neverwonder concluded a strong set with one of their new tunes, "Fate."

Summary: Neverwonder are a force to be checked into by the industry. Their music is not just fun, but provides much needed social commentary that appeals to the masses. The only problem is that the band needs to be more musically aware and tone down their tendency to overplay, so that the talents of lead singer Pearson are not wasted.

--Bob Leggett