On October 23, 2011, The Zombies performed at the Theatre of Living Arts (TLA) in Philadelphia as part of Little Steven¿s Underground Garage concert series on the "Rolling Rock & Roll Show" tour. Go-go girls? Geez¿whatever happened to them? One thing was certain: this show was nonstop entertainment from start to finish. With four or more bands playing back to back, it could easily have felt fragmented, but not under Little Steven¿s production. It flowed like one continuous, high-energy event.
Being fairly familiar with The Zombies and Argent, you might expect everything leading up to them to be just "filler." That wasn't the case¿not at all. Another element that added to the buzz was having a real, live radio announcer on stage: Debbi Calton. Having someone come out, work the crowd, and get everyone fired up was a great bonus.
The depth of the lineup was impressive, as was the interaction between every act and the audience. Add in the go-go dancers tying it all together, and it made the entire experience even more fun. There were countless highlights¿too many to list¿that you really had to be there to appreciate. The simplest way to put it: it was a great time.
One lasting impression that sums up many of those moments was The Woggles. I had been lucky enough to see them before, and wow¿can they get you moving. They brought a raw, explosive energy that lit up the room.
As for Colin Blunstone, he sounded fantastic. The Zombies' set was tight, confident, and inspired. The rhythm section was rock solid, and Rod Argent¿especially on songs like Hold Your Head Up - could make your spine tingle. It wasn¿t just the familiarity of the songs; it was the passion coming from the stage that turned the energy into full-blown synergy. Who would have expected this from some so-called ancient 60s and 70s rock-and-roll veterans? These Zombies were very much alive.
The Zombies lineup at the time featured founding members Rod Argent (keyboards), Colin Blunstone (vocals), and Jim Rodford (bass, also of The Kinks).
Also on the bill:
The Woggles - ferocious garage rock that set the tone for the night.
The Mooney Suzuki - a high-energy garage-rock revival group and a staple of the tour.
The Fleshtones - Underground Garage regulars known for their "Super Rock" stage presence; frontman Peter Zaremba is also an LSUG DJ.
Setlist highlights blended classic Zombies favorites with Argent material: