MUSIC

Dance and thrill to the powerhouse rock'n'roll band that captured the hearts of Worcester music lovers like no other band ever could. Zonkaraz ruled the stage in the 1970s, teaching a generation of music fans to dance and sing along to the exquisite original songs of Joanne Barnard List, Ric Porter, and Paul Vuona.

All three original members return for the Hanover Theatre concert, along with the original lineup from the band's heyday, in a driving reunion show that features a big dance floor for those who just can't stay in their seats.

As Joanne demonstrated in her breathtaking performance with the band at First Night 2007, her voice is even more powerful today than it was in the good ol' days, when she sent chills up the spine with her reading of "Over the Rainbow," made people cry with her original "Fill Me Up" and knocked their socks off with the bluesy "Talk to Me Baby."

The songs of Porter, Vuona, and List have proven timeless. They range from blues-rock to country-rock to rock-rock, with a little Latin seasoning, and they always leave you feeling up. The engine that propels people out of their seats is the Zonkaraz rhythm section -- Tom Grignon and Bill MacGillivray on drums, Michael Allard-Madaus on percussion and the incomparable Jon Webster on bass -- driven by Vuona's relentless piano and Porter's pulsing rhythm guitar, and slammed into overdrive by the lead guitars of Walter Crockett and Larry Preston.

This is a band of international caliber that to this day remains a treasured Worcester secret. If you haven't yet met the band that stole Worcester's heart, the Hanover Theatre is the place to meet them. If you already know Zonkaraz, there is no better venue to see this band, still at the top of its form, in a rare reunion appearance.