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Veronika Sorrow standing in front of MeowMeowz! 1 Stop Rock Shop in 2423 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107 on September 03, 2014.  A multifunctioning store front that hosts bands and artwork. (Ryan Kevin / Courier)
Veronika Sorrow standing in front of MeowMeowz! 1 Stop Rock Shop in 2423 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107 on September 03, 2014. A multifunctioning store front that hosts bands and artwork. (Ryan Kevin / Courier)

In 2008, a former Pasadena City College student from the Los Angeles area ascended onto a shadowy stage at an underground club in Santa Monica and performed her debut as a punk rock legend.

Channeling singer Siouxsie Sioux for her band Nocturna: Homage to Siouxsie & the Banshees, the performance would launch her onto a melodic journey that is both tenacious and unconventional.

Born in Hollywood, 39-year-old Veronika Sorrow grew up in a melodious household with both parents singing and playing guitar, which over time lead her to learning keyboards, guitar and eventually bass.

“I grew up in a Beatles, Rolling Stones kind of household. That was my first introduction to Rock n’ Roll so I always loved classic 60s, 70s rock ‘n’ roll and then I discovered music on my own and the hair got huge and it never stopped being big,” said Sorrow.

Being a devoted Siouxsie Sioux fan for the past 26 years, Sorrow relishes in paying homage to a band that has impacted her life both musically and emotionally.

“She was the first female artist I ever looked up to,” Sorrow said. “The music was powerful, and it was awesome. Her voice was amazing; she had a very unique look, so you know as a kid it was kind of like, ‘Oh wow this is incredible.’”

In spite of the negative connotation that musicians who perform in tribute bands are not original, Sorrow is as innovative as they come. In 2010, Sorrow formed her own post-punk band named Untoward Children with boyfriend Adriel Mederos and best friends Tim Thayer and Brian Schreiber.

“…We’re all 10 years apart and we all bring our own favorites to the table and somehow it just works because there’s a core right down the center, the common thread that we all love,” she said. “We all love a lot of the same bands spanning all eras.”

The band’s debut album was released in January, four years after their first session and debut show at MeowMeowz!, Sorrow’s “1 Stop Rock Shop” on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.

“…We packed it so deep that people had to stand outside on chairs and look in,” Sorrow said. “It was awesome. All up and down the aisles behind the counter, there were a lot of old friends.”

Established in 2001, MeowMeowz! originally opened on eBay and in eight years developed into the rock ‘n’ roll thrift shop that exists today that sells 60s, 70s and 80s recycled clothing, punk rock footwear and accessories, jewelry, hair dye, posters, stickers and everything punk inspired. The store also serves as a local art gallery, rehearsal space and hosts all ages shows.

“I’ve always loved shops like this in the 80s and they’re all gone,” Sorrow said. “I decided that with the music, the clothes and that scene being kind of like a yesteryears thing and so many things being available online I said, ‘you know I should do this’ and I did it.”

Mederos, also works at MeowMeowz! and describes Sorrow as being “the best boss out there.”

“She’s honestly the raddest, most unique woman I have ever met,” said Mederos.

At 17 years old, Sorrow remembers going to her first clubs and hearing bands like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the Cocteau Twins—music that she fell madly in love with. Those nights in 1992 would eventually lead her to open her first underground gothic club, Wake. But with the death of Wake in 2002, Sorrow decided to open her second club, FUNERAL, and has since been successful in keeping it alive. FUNERAL was also the venue where her band, Nocturna, played their first show.

“I’ll stay at a venue as long as I possibly can until something goes haywire with management or owners, which is sometimes inevitable,” Sorrow said. “I started in Costa Mesa, then Eagle Rock, Hollywood, West Hollywood, I’ve had a few in Pasadena back in the day, and now I have a cool spot in Baldwin Park.”

With MeowMeowz! located in Pasadena and with Sorrow having lived in the area for the past 19 years, she has high hopes that the city will expand small local businesses instead of buying them out, thereby turning the east side of Pasadena into another Old Town.

“… It’s still pretty relaxed right here. You can still get away with a lot, and be creative,” said Sorrow. “And since I have this physical spot here it’s almost like a base. It’s not like this ethereal idea, it’s an actual physical thing that people can come and visit and pick up flyers for even other shows and come catch a show here or just be aware of what’s going on in the underground, so to speak.”

Between promoting Nocturna, Untoward Children, MeowMeowz! and FUNERAL, Sorrow has a lot on her plate at the moment but also has big dreams as to what she would like to accomplish in the future.

“I think my ultimate goal, honestly, is to incorporate all of them under one roof,” she said. “I envision having a two-level building that I own where I can have a live venue, food, shopping, just everything. Just a one stop that’s mine and I live upstairs, and have a roof patio. That’s my ultimate.”

Kristen Luna
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