The Bluebird Hosts New Zealand’s Yumi Zouma

Photos: John Cargile

Yumi Zouma brought the crowd at the Bluebird Theater to their own backyard party last Monday night, in their first visit to Denver. The venue was filled with warm, familiar songs that people have found soothing and inspirational over the years since their first EP from 2014. 

Experiencing their Christchurch, New Zealand vibe was quite the thrill, as playful musicians backed lead singer Christie Simpson’s friendly style.  Multi-instrumentalists Josh Burgess and Charlie Ryder switched bass and guitar with each other more than a few times, accommodating us with their individual talents as they backed each other up. Their skills sharing sounds rolled onto and through the dancing crowd, eliciting smiles, warmth, and groove. There were more than a few Kiwis in the crowd, and many others joined in singing along with the band, matching the band word-for-word for each song.

“Crush (It’s Late, Just Stay)” was one Yumi Zouma fave that hooked everyone

Over the years Yumi Zouma have released Yoncalla (2016), Willowbank (2017), Truth or Consequences (2020), and the recent Present Tense (2022) and the show offered tracks from each, as well as from EP releases.

Early in the show the song “Crush (It’s Late, Just Stay)” was one that hooked everyone with non-ironic fun moves, before “Cool for a Second” raised the level of fun. The Bluebird is so good for these shows, because the intimacy a makes you feel you’re right there in the living room with the band. The pit was wide open for much of the show, allowing anyone interested to be even closer. 

Simpson and the band added many more tunes, all recommended for streaming, like “Depths (Pt I)” and “Give It Hell,” enveloping everyone in their party. 

The band shared more rocking songs from the new album as the set wrapped up – you could tell they were really having fun. The song “December,” with its “whatever makes you feel good” hook brought the party close to a climactic peak, and “Astral Project” finished their killer set.

The encore featured two of their best ever tracks – “Bruise” and “The Brae.” The latter came from the band’s earliest period – a point in their history I love so much. Here’s to Yumi Zouma for bringing their party to Denver – and to hoping for a chance to see them again before too long.

Enjoy the songs from the show on this playlist recreated on Spotify.