Sunset Strip Songstress Mandi Perkins Heads 'of Verona'

Local recording artist Mandi Perkins is no stranger to West Hollywood. After moving from Toronto to Los Angeles to advance her musical career while simultaneously attending UC Berkley, Perkins signed a deal with Sony Music and began touring extensively. It wasn’t long before Perkins was a household name on the Sunset Strip, performing a plethora of shows at , , and . 

Perkins' album, “Alice in No Man’s Land,” recorded at West Hollywood’s popular Swinghouse Studios, produced by Warren Huart (The Fray, Augustana) and mixed by Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer), was released digitally in 2008 before the Sony label head that signed Perkins was let go, resulting in a brief career hiatus.

Back in full swing, her latest project is of Verona, a group made up of herself and band members from the Williamsburg (Brooklyn) scene that fuses rock and roll with female vocals. Named after Shakespeare’s earliest play, “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” the band has been receiving an increasing amount of hype and the momentum behind them continues to build.

Their sold-out performances at The Troubadour and memorable gigs at Sundance Film Festival and Seattle Music Fest have peaked the interest of major media outlets. MTV recently featured of Verona on their daily live show, "The Seven," and deemed them “Band to Know in 2011.” Their most recent stint was an April 28 show at Molly Malone's. The venue is often recognized for having the best sound system in Los Angeles.

The band's important showcase featured songs off their upcoming debut, “Fall Like Roses,” including “Castles,” “The Enemy,” and “Take Me.” Perkins commanded the mic with her melodic voice, backed by Dillon Pace (guitar/keyboard), Jacob Fatoorechi (rhythm guitar), Jeff Sojka (drums), and Andrew James (bass).

Halfway through the set, the band dove into the seductive “Match”—the tune that was featured on MTV’s "The Seven." Perkins introduced the song by saying, “This is kind of a sexy song. If you’re feeling sexy, now is the time to go up to someone and say hey.”

Shortly after was the emotional tune, “Raining,” which Perkins wrote for her brother, who after an unfortunate battle with brain cancer, lost his life last week.  Perkins told the crowd, “I hope people hear it and consider it a sort of musical empathy when going through tough times."

The tune was beautiful and resulted in a round of applause from a teary-eyed audience. Perkins isn’t afraid to pour her heart and soul into her lyrics and reveal a soft and uncensored side of herself.

The set ended with “Why Pretend,” a song written about cheating. During the bridge, Of Verona transitioned into a brief teaser of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, a very appropriate addition to the song.

Before leaving the stage, Perkins announced that the band will have some upcoming tour dates, including a possible New York show in several weeks. Music fans should keep their eyes on this budding group of rockers. Stay tuned for of Verona's debut EP, “Fall Like Roses,” which is currently being mixed by John O’Mahony (Coldplay, Metric) and is in its final stages.

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