Zombie and ukulele? This you gotta see

In the 1950s, when hillbilly music mixed with rock 'n' roll, the world got rockabilly. Now, Mad Tea Party has taken rockabilly one step further, merging it with - what else? - the ukulele.

The result: raw and rockin' uke-abilly.

"It's such a fun instrument," said ukulele player Ami Worthen.

But Worthen doesn't play a boring, ol' brown ukulele like Tiny Tim did. Hers is custom-made by a company in California, and it looks like a hot-rod car.

"It's pretty badass," Worthen said.

Mad Tea Party - made up of Worthen and guitarist /drummer Jason Krekel - will be at the Flying Monkey Arts Center tonight. The show starts at 8. Tickets are $5.

Worthen and Krekel, who both live in Asheville, N.C., met through mutual friends. The two clicked and formed Mad Tea Party.

"Becoming a musician was like jumping into a rabbit hole," said Worthen about the "Alice in Wonderland" reference.

Since 2004, the duo's been touring and releasing CDs and records, including "Big Top, Soda Pop" and "Found a Reason." At tonight's show, the band will play several tracks from its most recent EP, "Zombie Boogie." The release features songs such as "Cemetery Stomp," "You Spooked Me" and "Zombie Boogie."

Aren't vampires all the rage now? Why zombies?

"We like the campiness of it," Worthen said. "It's just spooky and fun."

"Zombie Boogie" is available for digital download and on 7-inch vinyl. If you buy the vinyl edition, you receive a download card unleashing a surprise bonus track.

Worthen didn't want to ruin the surprise, but here's a hint: Steve Miller and magic.