When I first wrote about Night Powers, I said they were “vampire cowboys playing a burlesque set” After seeing them live at Coney Island Baby, I completely stand by my assertion.

The venue was perfect for them. The walls were close together until you got to the stage — a magnificent centerpiece. The patrons matched the mood. We drank liquor and ice. The occasional glass had an additional olive or orange slice in it. The stage was set, but the atmosphere wasn’t truly complete until the music started. Night Powers had an air of mystery about them that blurred one’s sense of the present.

“Again, in the Room” completed the venue, but changed everything outside of the old brick walls. We ceased to exist in 2019. We were some time in the past 100 years, somewhere under stone and mortar and grit. It was an ageless burlesque that ensared its listeners, like the elven night market that gobbles up children and spits them outside of space and time.

Though their sound is otherworldly, the band formed in the most natural of ways. Vocalist Natalie Devine and keyboardist Inbar Kishoni pulled back the curtain for me. They were brought together through their day jobs (outside of music) and connected through the dense web musicians that is New York City. With the quintet assembled, Inbar and vocalist/guitarist Rob Viola began churning out tracks for their act.

I say act, because their performance is more than the sum of it’s sounds. They create characters, tell stories, build worlds on stage. That’s just what happens when Rob and Inbar write. They have a healthy competition with one another. Rob is a writing machine, Inbar a more careful artistic soul — together, they create round musical experiences that ensare their listeners.

They recently released a new album, but as for the future, they see releasing more singles and enjoying performing live. We can expect a few more music videos as well.

Until then, what’s weird can never die, and Night Powers is undoubtedly, very weird.

Photos by Zoltan Suhay