The Daily Sundial

Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Entertainment

The Veronicas, a pop-punk twin sister duo from Australia, performed at the Roxy on April 2. [Click to enlarge]

The powerhouse pop duo "The Veronicas" rocked to a packed crowd at the Roxy in Hollywood last Wednesday, proving that good things do come in small packages. "The Veronicas" are composed of the petite but vocally-impressive twin sisters, Jessica and Lisa Origliasso, and three bandmates on guitar, bass and drums. The V's performed some catchy songs from their past and upcoming albums. "The Follow" and "Reeve Carney" opened The Veronicas' show, and by the time the girls set foot on stage, the crowd was roaring with anticipation.

"Untouched" was the first song of the evening, and as the violins layered over electro-pop filled the air, it became clear that the Veronicas' follow a different path when it comes to performing pop music.

While the Roxy is not a huge venue, their energy filled the crowd with excitement as fans danced along. The next song the girls performed was "When It All Falls Apart," which was apparently one of their biggest hits in their native Australia.

The song thumped through the speakers with a driving rhythm and bass line, and it was obvious that this was a song that The Veronicas loved to perform. The Veronicas hit their peak midway through the show when they performed the acoustic "Don't Say Goodbye." Their voices merged seamlessly in perfect harmony, and the gentle strumming of the guitar carried the angelic blend across the Roxy. Their intense drummer punctuated their soaring vocals with a few sporadic but well-placed drum bursts.

After "Don't Say Goodbye," The Veronicas showed that they were a band all about the fans as they called up their "number one fan," a teenage boy who was having his sweet 16th birthday. The girls took him on stage, where he stood and sang along with them as they held his hand. This may be an insignificant act for many concert-goers, but The Veronicas really proved their dedication and gratitude to their fans by this one simple act of friendship.

As the crowd screamed, The Veronicas started singing of their most well-known songs, "Hook Me Up," which starts with a driving, electro-pop beat, and as the fans bobbed up and down, the girls traipsed across the stage, dancing and twirling with the guitarists.

A notable plus to The Veronicas' performance is that the girls readily played guitar in some of their songs.

In an age of synthesized pop-tarts who seem to not know anything about their music, it's refreshing to see women in music that know a thing or two about the actual creation of music and the elements that work together to form a song.

The Veronicas are one part pop, one part punk, and one part rock, but all three parts blend together well into a unique, likeable mélange of music. The Veronicas don't take themselves too seriously, they have fun with their fans, and deliver their catchy music in a contagiously satisfying way.

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