From left: Maddie Powell (guitar), Anderson Bonanno (vocals), Christian Moreno (drums) and Ryan Bonanno (guitar) sit down for a few slow tempo songs during the concert. Photo by Karina Verlan/The Connection
A group of young rock stars, The Magnetic Toxins, performed on Saturday, Sept., 17 at The Laurel Hill Community Pool in an effort to raise money for the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC).
The Magnetic Toxins are a five-piece ensemble that includes Hunter Malecki (keyboard, vocals), Ryan Bonanno (lead guitar, vocals), Anderson Bonanno (lead vocals, drums), Christian Moreno (bass guitar, vocals), and Maddie Powell (guitar, vocals). The group formed about a year ago right on the playground of Laurel Hill Elementary School.
“One day after school, I told my parents that I want to be in a band,” said lead singer, Anderson. “They thought it would just be for a few days, but now a year later, here we are.”
The band’s only girl, Maddie, joined the group four months ago. The boys decided that they wanted to add another guitar to make the band more dynamic, and that they wanted it to be a girl. Maddie was perfect for the job.
“We think it’s really cool,” said Katy Powell, Maddie’s mother. “I wasn’t surprised, because she’s always had that rock vibe.” In the Powell household, rock and classics are more common than anything pop, and Maddie learned how to play guitar from her father.
LCAC was founded in 1975 as an independent non-profit that aims to help “low-income individuals, seniors and families in Ft. Belvoir, Lorton, Newington and southeast Fairfax County with access to basic needs and the opportunity to empower themselves through LCAC’s self-sufficiency programs.”
Those who attended the benefit concert on Saturday contributed cereal, canned goods and money, which the LCAC will pass on to families in need. The benefit raised a grand total of $1,050 in monetary donations, 61 cereal boxes and 2 paper grocery bags of canned goods.
Mrs. Powell said they considered other organizations, but that “it seemed to make sense” to donate to LCAC because it is local, they wanted to make a big impact and because “LCAC does a lot of great service for the community.”
Asked how they came up with the name of their band, the young philanthropists said that they are “magnetic to people who like rock, and toxic to people who don’t have fun.”
In addition to covers, the band is now working on some original tracks. They have lyrics in the works already.
The Magnetic Toxins hope that they can make their benefit concert for LCAC an annual event, so that they can continue to help families in need.