It’s hard to believe that of all the iconic 1960s rock ‘n’ roll bands, the Zombies of “Time of the Season” and “She’s Not There” fame never played in New Orleans.
That will be remedied this Thursday night when the band, which features original members Rod Argent on keys and Colin Blunstone on vocals, hits the stage at the Decatur Street nightclub. It’s an early show with doors at 7 PM.
The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation played a big role in getting the psychedelic/pop band to the Crescent City. Besides championing the R&B greats of New Orleans, the organizers of the Stomp also have presented numerous other bands often defined as “garage rock” such as ? and the Mysterians, Roky Erickson, the Seeds, the Sonics, and homegrown favorites such as Dr. Spec’s Optical Illusion, the Bad Roads, and the Gaunga Dyns. This Zombies appearance is another jewel in that crown.
The Zombies are in the 2014 nomination class for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are shoe-ins since they influenced everyone from the Beatles and the Beach Boys to the Kinks and the Doors. And their swan-song LP, 1967’s “Odessey and Oracle, sits at #100 on Rolling Stone magazine’s top 500 rock albums of all time and has been hailed as a masterpiece of psychedelic rock.
A special treat is in store for fans arriving early to see Hollis Brown’s opening set. The band plans to play a new song, “Rain Dance,” which uses an unreleased Bo Diddley song, recently discovered in a tape vault at Chess Records in Chicago, as its basis.
Live Nation/Yahoo! will be streaming the concert live.
