Being part of something bigger than yourself is an opportunity that only comes so often. Playing bass for Powdered Wig Machine has been one such opportunity for me. When Patricia and Daniel welcomed me into the fold, I knew this band was something special, and will continue to be once I depart.

For those of you that aren’t familiar, Powdered Wig Machine is a band that started as a web series that started as the brainchild of one Patricia Madison (née Madsen), a long-time San Antonio resident and musician that blends the bizarre and controversial art of drag with the blitzkrieg energy of psychedelia, punk, and heavy rock music. Powerhouse drummer Daniel Raigoza’s controlled frenzy anchors the band in rhythmic fury. Their debut album featured Vincent Garlisi, known to most as the low end of the Wizard, on bass guitar; shoes that would take giant steps to replace once he stepped away to focus on recording, touring, and running Fuzzy Cat Records. 

After a trainwreck of a failed relationship and band combo, I had zero confidence in my musical ability or my competence as a band member (my ex once told me I “just liked to hear myself sing”). I was unsure if I would continue to play live music or if I even had the self-respect to keep performing. After about 10 months of crying, moving, therapy, weight gain, starting grad school online and occasionally picking up my bass, I received an Instagram message from Patricia asking if I would be interested in joining Powdered Wig Machine. My band Sündias once played as Patricia’s backing band The Bralettes, an earlier musical incarnation of the project. What could have been a fun new experience turned into another facet of my personal nightmare when our guitarist spitefully refused to practice the set.

In any case, I was already familiar with some of the songs. I was ready to do something creative again, despite my reservations about my insane schedule as a full-time stonemason apprentice and part-time library science student. In January of 2024, I picked up my Yamaha BB-1200 and tuned in to It’s What I’ve Always Wanted on Spotify to begin my weird and wonderful journey as the bassist for one of San Antonio’s most hardworking bands.

Eleven months and at least 22 shows later, the band’s sophomore recording is set to emerge from the ether. Friday December 6th marks the release date of the covers EP Vacant Statues, including long-time Powdered Wig Machine live staples originally recorded by the Urinals, Wire, Liars, and Unwound. Vacant Statues also includes a version of Pink Floyd’s “One of My Turns” from The Wall, brilliantly arranged with harmonium and featuring local artist Mia Santiago. The song originally debuted on the Fuzzy Cat Records compilation Any Cover You Like: A Pink Floyd Tribute as a local benefit effort for Doctors Without Borders.

Vacant Statues is Patricia’s send off to cover songs as the next full-length album of original material lies brewing in the darkness. At just under 15 minutes, it’s a raunchy look into some of the influences that converge and churn into parts of what makes Powdered Wig Machine’s music so unique: dark, weird, and ready to dance. Interested parties may inquire directly with the band’s Instagram page to purchase tickets for the limited capacity release party on Saturday, December 7th at Period Modern. 

Patricia’s form of drag is unique, in the punk haus of Jayne County and the Cockettes, not necessarily eschewing glamor and femininity, but blending the masculine energy of rock and roll with something stranger. It’s something that I respect as a genderfluid person and it’s a bold choice of expression that has already cost the band a TV spot in the conservative Texan media landscape.

As for your humble narrator, four shows remain before I make my departure from the musical juggernaut known as Powdered Wig Machine to focus on my degree, a solo recording, working on this website and maybe even a sludgy girl band. In one year I have learned so much about myself and my bandmates, who work full-time jobs, one of whom is raising a son, and still dedicate so much of their time and their lives to making this music happen. Powdered Wig Machine has nothing but amazing opportunities and ideas on the horizon, and I wish them nothing but the utmost success. Stream Vacant Statues on Bandcamp or whatever streaming service you kids are into these days on December 6th.