Ah, the waning days of summer, when warm, sultry breezes warm the spirit. What could be better than a chilled glass of Chardonnay and putting on some relaxing jazz? Better yet? How about romping around with cold beer, cheering and singing along with the force of nature known as “Here Come the Mummies”!
It is hot! The wind feels like a blast furnace—so warm the trees are looking for shade—but soon a very lucky group of fans is going to be treated to a double dose of great music at Bell’s. First up is the Low Down Brass Band from Chicago.
Low Down Brass Band is a full-on brass band complete with sousaphone. The band sports an outrageous rapper who bounces off the band, adding punctuation and definition to each song. The band was a perfect choice to shake up the fans before Here Come the Mummies took the stage.
The Mummies enter with a drum cadence that riles the fans. “My Party” kicks off the show, adding even more heat to the sultry evening. There is no cessation of movement on the stage. Once Here Come the Mummies are on, there is no off switch; it is party mode, so hang on. “Freak Flag” is a perennial favorite with fans and begins a fury of freak-flag waving, culminating with fans handing over large flags for the band to wave on stage. An honor, for sure.
The sun is setting over Kalamazoo, but it is only getting warmer in the packed venue as the crowd pushes (respectfully) to the stage. “Fenk Shui,” “Dirty Minds,” and “Whip It Out” keep the party atmosphere going as the band pours on the showmanship.
The band has no end of talent, as many of the Mummies are multi-talented. Mummy Cass is out front on guitar with his right-hand man Eddie Mummy on drums, backed by Spaz on keyboards, all adding their voices. Highlander is a pure sax man, while Dr. Yo is accomplished on saxophone and voice. Not to be outdone, Midnight can be found on sax, voice, keyboards, and percussion, if you can keep an eye on him. HPOD handles the trumpet work, which keeps him too busy to do much else—except the amazing choreographed dancing, which is a Here Come the Mummies standard. The whole band is grounded by Fingerbang on bass and voice.
The line at the beer tent is stretching into the crowd as the constant barrage of great tunes—“Pants,” “Kinda Lingers,” and “Weinerman”—comes back-to-back, and the crowd is moving, cheering, and singing along. The band is just a blur as they move around the stage. It is hard to believe that in this heat they can be so spot-on in the music and choreography, all while wrapped in their mummy garb—but it is all for the fans.
As if the devotees are not rocking hard enough, the Mummies unleash “Ra Ra Ra,” a song with a Vegas-like stage show that drives the chanting to a fever pitch. The cheering doesn’t wane as “Road Trip,” “3 Way,” “DTF,” “Make It Shake,” and “1,2,3PLE” round out the set. The band vacates the stage, but the fans know that with proper cheering, they can cause the Mummies to rise again—and sure enough, they all come back. The encore, “Booty,” is a fitting end to a classic Here Come the Mummies concert.
Here Come the Mummies is great listening, but the “live” show is worth any sacrifice. The amount of stage presence and fan participation makes the show feel more like a gathering than a concert.
