Saturday night’s reunion concert by The Zou lured back many of the former Youngstown band’s fans, who were quickly reminded of how good they were.
The Zou was musically complex, but in a fun indie-pop way. It also leaned toward the dark side, which made its Halloween shows back in the day must-see events.
The band’s theatrical flair is still very much intact.
The Halloween night concert at Youngstown’s Westside Bowl started with the room going pitch black.
Khaled Tabbara – The Zou’s founder, who sings and plays acoustic guitar and keyboard – was carried through the crowd in a closed and crude wooden coffin. A “Pinebox.”
Singer Katianne Timko Tabbara played the grieving widow in this scene, clad in black and weeping loudly as she led the pallbearers to the stage. Khaled and Katianne, by the way, are married and are the core of successful electropop band Munnycat, which is based in Los Angeles.
The evening actually started with a Munnycat set that marked the release of their debut full-length album, “Till Death We Do Art.” Timko Tabbara is always riveting on stage with the hyper-pop Munnycat. She and Tabbara made a very satisfying opening act for … themselves.
The Zou’s set came afterward and was followed by the band returning to the stage for a raucous set of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” songs, just like old times. Tabbara was in full Dr. Frank-N-Furter attire.
For an act that hasn’t played in eight years, The Zou was in midseason form. The band was loaded with talent from the start, and each member has only gotten better.
During Munnycat’s set, Timko hilariously called the evening “Khaled’s Eras Tour.”
And like a Taylor Swift megatour, it spanned his career and made for a memorable Halloween night.
Interestingly, it was the third time in three months that former (or long quiet) great Youngstown rock bands got together for a rare show.
In August, Gil Mantera’s Party Dream packed the ballroom at Penguin City Brewing. And earlier in October, the Infidels played a record release show at Westside Bowl.
Napoleon Dynamite
The stars of the awkwardly heartfelt movie “Napoleon Dynamite” will bring their film-and-chat tour to town this weekend.
Three of the main characters from the 2004 film – Jon Heder (Napoleon), Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro) – will be at Packard Music Hall in Warren on Saturday.
Their evening will begin with a screening of the film. Then the three will be onstage for discussion and audience interaction. It starts at 8 p.m. For tickets, click HERE.
And gimme some of your tots. GOSH!
Also On the Way
Other weekend (and beyond) highlights include comedy and rock.
The Uncle Louie Variety Show will bring its “Wooden Spoon Survivor” tour to Ford Family Recital Hall in downtown Youngstown at 8 p.m. Friday. It’s an old-school comedy show with an Italian-American flair. For tickets, click HERE.
Rodney Carrington, the down-home comic, will come to Packard Music Hall in Warren at 7 p.m. Friday. For tickets, click HERE.
Pittsburgh rockers The Clarks, a longtime favorite in Youngstown, will be at Westside Bowl at 8 p.m. Saturday, with opening act Candace Campana. For tickets, click HERE.
On a much heavier side, metal act Trivium, with Jinjer, will be at Packard at 7:30 p.m. Monday. For tickets, click HERE.
And on Tuesday, Veterans Day, “Modern Warrior Live” will be at the Robins Theatre in Warren. The show, which has traveled the nation, features Warren native Jaymes Poling. It’s free, but tickets must be obtained. Click HERE to learn more.
For a complete look at everything going on in the Mahoning Valley, check out The List.
Pictured above: Khaled Tabbara and Katianne Timko Tabbara perform music from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at Westside Bowl on Saturday.