My new obsession: The Veronicas

Saturday night really needed to be good.

A food-borne virus of some sort kept me from leaving my apartment (or my bathroom, for that matter) on Friday, which precipitated a horribly embarrassing e-mail in which I explained why I didn't show up for a wedding being held only 3 miles away. That was not a great start to the weekend.

I tested the culinary waters the next day and everything seemed all right, so I proceeded with my plans to see The Veronicas at Metro -- which turned out the be the best idea ever.

If the Australian duo is a blip on your radar screen, it's probably because you've heard the first U.S. single off their "Hook Me Up" album, "Untouched." A sexy, poppy mix of synth beats, "Untouched" might not be the most remarkable song in the world, but it features distinctive vocals and a good hook. That recording doesn't suggest that a live show by the same act would be comparable to, say, Veruca Salt circa 1997, but that's exactly what the Metro crowd got Saturday night.

The Veronicas are twin sisters Jess and Lisa Origliasso, who write their own material and have sold songs to other pop groups like t.A.T.u. and Everlife. On stage, Jess is the prowling sex kitten with a scream that Axl would be proud of, and Lisa is the crowd-friendly crooner. Both have real vocal chops; no auto-tuning here. The synth beats of the album are replaced by live drums, guitar and bass, with the sisters chiming in on guitar and keyboards when needed.

Like Veruca Salt, The Veronicas turned a small club like Metro into a virtual arena. The energy on stage and in the crowd seemed too big, too exuberant even for Joe Shanahan's little slice of heaven on Clark Street. With a catalog full of monster hooks, pretty much every song turned into a group singalong, and I can't imagine anyone cut out early. Here is a relatively unknown band that has the guts to open with their biggest hit -- they know how good they are.

I long suspected this band would be good live -- I bought their first album, "The Secret Life of the Veronicas," in 2006 on the recommendation of regular commenter Sean T (more on him in a moment) -- but I had no idea what I was in store for. You might hear sugary pop on the CD, but you definitely get kick-ass rock 'n' roll when you see them live. The post-show discussion between me and two friends in broadcasting lamented their lack of radio play. Where does such a band fit? Their live performances suggest they'd be right at home on Q101, but the album seems more fit for Top 40, a format we don't really have here in Chicago. They're too poppy for B96, too heavy for The Mix, and too naughty for Radio Disney. A band like this reinforces the importance of YouTube, Twitter and iTunes in today's musical landscape.

A resident of Golden Valley, Minn., Sean T had seen The Veronicas on Friday night in St. Paul, and drove to Chicago the next day to see them again. That's dedication, and I don't blame him. Like he said, "I wouldn't drive 400 miles if it wasn't good," and it sure was good. We had to endure the pain of being the old dudes at the rock show, but that's been the norm for a while now. (I'm not ready to limit my concert-going to R.E.M., Pearl Jam and The Boss.)

Sean T might have to come back again on July 31, when The Veronicas play at Six Flags Great America during the park's summer concert series. They're on a bill that includes Boys Like Girls, Gym Class Heroes and Herald City's own The Academy Is..., whose latest album is called "Fast Times at Barrington High." (Concert admission is free with park admission, click here for more details.) Go, ride some roller-coasters, and then experience the real thrill -- The Veronicas must be seen live.