The Zombies at City Winery

In 1958 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, keyboardist Rod Argent jammed with his school mates. Vocalist Colin Blunstone, who was from nearby Hatfield, joined in 1961. The band was originally called the Mustangs, but discovering that other bands used that name, became the Zombies. Winning a recording contract through a beat-group competition, the Zombies hit with "She's Not There" in 1964, selling over one million copies. The Zombies also hit in the U.S. with "Tell Her No" in 1965, then "Time of the Season" in 1968, even though the band had split in 1967. Blunstone recorded solo albums and Argent led a rock band called Argent. The Zombies reunited briefly in 1991, then Blunstone and Argent reunited in 2000 as Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent and moved to the US in 2001. Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent recorded an album and performed live into 2004, when the duo rebranded as the Zombies. The Zombies released albums of new material in 2004, 2011, and the sixth and most recent album, Still Got That Hunger, in 2015. In 2017 the four surviving original members (Blunstone, Argent, Chris White, and Hugh Grundy) re-united to tour in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Zombies' second album, Odessey & Oracle. The current touring band consists of Blunstone, Argent, guitarist Tom Toomey, bassist Soren Køch, and drummer Steve Rodford.

Considering that the nascent band formed 60 years ago, the Zombies sounded remarkably alive and fresh tonight at City Winery. Blunstone breathed airy musical scales with his gentle, feathery voice to Argent's artistic keyboard whirls, paying tribute to Zombies music and cover songs from the 1960s while also venturing into soft-rock melodies for the present time. Still a pop band, but not tuned into modern stylings, the performance was cut from an old cloth and honored classic traditions with sophisticated melodies, rich harmonies, elegant arrangements, and complex instrumental progressions. These pop veterans performed their set with fluid, lyrical beauty, and while not every song was memorable, they were performed in such refined taste that it could have led a listener to wonder why we ever left the 1960s.

Visit the Zombies at www.thezombiesmusic.com.

Setlist:

1. Road Runner (Bo Diddley cover)
2. The Look of Love (Burt Bacharach cover)
3. I Want You Back Again
4. I Love You
5. Sanctuary (Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent cover)
6. Moving On
7. Edge of the Rainbow
8. Tell Her No
9. You've Really Got a Hold on Me (the Miracles cover)/Bring It on Home to Me (Sam Cooke cover)
10. Chasing the Past
11. Care of Cell 44
12. This Will Be Our Year
13. I Want Her She Wants Me
14. Time of the Season
15. Hold Your Head Up (Argent cover)
16. She's Not There

Encore:

1. God Gave Rock and Roll to You (Argent cover)