My son and I went to City Winery this past Thursday and he was definitely the youngest person in the room by a long shot, if you do not include the staff. I was pleasantly surprised with the opening set by singer songwriter Dan DiLego who wa accompanied by a pedal steel/multi-instrumentalist and,  for his last song, a musician friend on background vocals. Mr. DiLego has some really good songs andhis between  song banter, including a rap about his mother telling him to ask The Zombies to help him do construction on a bar he owns,was entertaining. 

The Zombies hit the stage and they looked as old as the audience but I should not have been surprised as they began as a group somewhere around 1967. I wa strapping myself in for what I thought wa going to be a rough night but as the band got rolling and performing their numerous hit recordings, I realized that this band was still really, really good. Their longtime bassist of eighteen years recently passed away and his replacement did not miss a beat. The drummer was Chris Farleyesqe and the excellent lead guitar was Garth straight out of Wayne’s World. 

The Zombies regaled the adoring AARP members with a mix of old hits, newer tunes and a couple of great Argent songs including “Hold Your Head Up”.

This was a show that I mistakingly had low expectations for but we left the venue smiling and sonically satisfied; the big sound in the intimate room proved to be perfect. The Zombies three night stint at City Winery New York was a rousing success.

God Gave Rock and Roll to You

Rock on

GQ