The Zombies celebrate new 'Hung Up on a Dream' documentary with South by Southwest show

British musical legends The Zombies performed their 10th-anniversary South by Southwest show Wednesday night, just part of their SXSW journey in 2023. They also screened their documentary and will headline Friday night's free Lady Bird Lake outdoor concert.

The 15-song set list at Stubb's included timeless hits from the band’s early years as part of the British Invasion music wave of the 1960s, as well as fresh sounds from "Different Game," the Zombies’ newest album, which drops March 31.

The 2,200-person venue was packed with swaying, dancing and cheering fans in front of the stage and by the concession stands, while the sloped section nearer to the amphitheater entrance and merchandise booth offered breathing room for more relaxed listeners.

Despite the venue size, the seasoned performers imbued the open-air amphitheater with the intimacy of a jam session, bantering with each other and the audience while pausing to adjust equipment issues.

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Rod Argent, founding member and keyboardist of the group, electrified the audience with multiple examples of his signature solos, which often lasted up to several minutes. During his rare breaks from the keys, Argent sang harmony, paced the stage or urged the audience to sing along with the gusto of a choir director.

Founding vocalist Colin Blunstone was just as enthralling, with a strength to his voice that belied his 77 years. (He practices vocal exercises up to three times a day, according to the band’s new documentary, "Hung Up on a Dream.")

The five-person band’s energy was so infectious that the only reminder of their age came immediately following the second song of their 80-minute set. “Can we keep the lights from going completely black out after each song?” Blunstone, 77, said to the lighting crew immediately after performing "I Want You Back Again." “Because we can’t see what’s going on.”

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Attendee ages varied wildly, ranging from a handful of children with their parents up to senior citizens, possibly reminiscing about enjoying the same music more than 60 years ago. Most concertgoers appeared to be in their 30s and 40s, with many singing every word of the lyrics to classics such as "Time of the Season," "She’s Not There" and "I Love You."

Young couples danced and made googly eyes at each other as the band crooned a new ballad, “You Could Be My Love,” from their upcoming album.

The titular song from the new album, “Different Game,” featured a hauntingly lyrical melody from the bassist in lieu of the “beautiful string quartet” accompaniment which fans can enjoy on the recorded version, Blunstone informed the audience.

The Zombies have been busy throughout the pandemic, which shut down the world right before SXSW 2020. In addition to the new album, a new documentary memorializing the band’s history, "Hung Up on a Dream," premiered at SXSW on Sunday, with a second screening at 2:15 p.m. Friday.

The documentary tells the story of the band’s founding, in their own words. From meeting as schoolboys at St. Albans in Hertfordshire, UK, to coming up with the band name on a whim, The Zombies’ journey wends its way through the annals of pop music history, dropping heartwarming anecdotes and behind-the-scenes insight into their larger-than-life days as some of the best-known teenagers in British history at the time.

The band’s iconic album spelling of “Odessey and Oracle,” for example, was actually a typo on the artist’s part which slipped through proofing due to the band’s touring schedule.

The Zombies underwent the time of their season at the peak of the British Invasion musical movement, from winning a 100-band playoff and becoming the first British band after The Beatles to top charts in the United States, to financial exploitation from a music manager that partially influenced their dissolution in the late ‘60s.

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Following their breakup, the band members drifted into various careers, with varying levels of success. But the siren call of the music industry lured each Zombie back in time in various ways. The band first came back together in 2000, evolving into its current iteration in the past few years.

Wednesday night at Stubbs, first-time listeners and lifelong fans alike enjoyed the freedom of once again standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a music venue after years of social distancing. The audience soaked in the timeless words of The Zombies, swaying to lyrics penned nearly half a century ago: “This will be our year/Took a long time to come.”

The Zombies are scheduled to play the second night of free Lady Bird Lake SXSW shows at Vic Mathias Shores. They're headlining an eclectic bill supported by indie rocker AJ Smith and Afrobeat artist Baba Kuboye, nephew to genre-defining Afrobeat artist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who works classic motifs into modern Afrobeats sound beds.

All of the Auditorium Shores shows are all ages, free and open to the public with no credentials required. Concert-goers are invited to bring a picnic or grab food from the local food trucks on site. There will also be a beer garden in the park.

Gates open at 2 p.m. with music from 3 to 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: The Zombies bring British Invasion to SXSW 2023 show at Stubbs