Richmond, VA – Djer, the third Pharaoh of Egypt, said it best (loosely translated), “A little embalming is good for the soul! Let’s make some music and funk things up!!” With Djer’s tragic death in 2955 B.C., 11 mummies (was Djer one of them?) vowed to immortalize his words. On December 5th, 2019, Here Come The Mummies (HCTM) exited the tomb to put on a memorable show at the Broadberry in Richmond, VA. The band brought with them a sound that included a little bit of funk, a little bit of rock, and a whole lot of soul.
The Mummies, consisting of Mummy Cass (guitar, vocals), Eddie Mummy (drums, vocals), K.W. TuT (bass, spores, vocals), Spaz (keys, synth, vocals), The Pole! (bass), Midnight Mummy (bari & tenor sax, keys, percussion, talk box, vocals), The Flu (alto sax, clarinet, flute), Mummy Rah (tenor sax, moves), H.P.O.D. (High Priest of D.E.A.T.H.) (trumpet), (Dr.) Mummy Yo (bari, tenor, & alto sax, vocals), and Mummy Highlander (alto & tenor sax) entered from the back of the Broadberry to the sound of a marching band drum line. The first thing I noticed was how well they had aged. At 5000 years old they had the nimbleness and wit of those who have not yet reached the century mark. When it comes to preservation, the Egyptians did a bang up job with the band!
After their classic entrance, HCTM immediately went into some funky rock soul with “My Party“, telling all that “everybody’s welcome at my party”, “there’s a heavy metal man and a tranny from Japan” at the party. It was obvious that 50 centuries of preservation had instilled a sense of unity in the band. Observation of the audience told a similar story, as almost all shapes, ages, and sizes were there to witness this historical event. This was indeed a show for everyone (over 18 anyhow). Adding a little Latin sound to the mix, they performed, “Ra Ra Ra“, reminiscent of the Egyptian sun god, “When all is said and done, we’re not the first to be here, nothing new underneath the sun”. This piece was so much fun and had the crowd dancing on the floor. This song also included some fine work by the horn section.
In an “I’ll have what they are having moment”, I realized that 5 millennia also does a lot for the libido. Based on several of their songs, it was obvious that embalming did more than soften the skin, it was quite an aphrodisiac, making the T-replacement products sound minor league in comparison. Some songs were quite obvious like, “No Vaseline“, “Whip It Out“, as well as the one ‘dedicated to Richard’ “Bring That Down“. There were also some subtle tunes, including, “Shag Carpet“. The band said it best when they proclaimed, “Ain’t no such thing as being too horny. We have been accused of being too horny.”
Yes, the show was a lot of fun, but what was truly amazing was the diverse talent each member brought to the band. So many played multiple instruments, strings (guitar), keys, percussion, brass and winds. It was apparent that in order to get the special sound for each tune they were willing to use any and all instruments at their disposal. Their rhythm had everyone in the audience moving to the beat. Even this correspondent, one of the most graceless individuals on the face of the earth, felt the groove (thankfully, there was no video allowed).
As the show wound down, I could feel a tear welling up in what was left of Djer’s eyes. HCTM put on a show worthy of any Pharaoh. Mixing the genres of funk and soul, with a little rock and roll thrown in, they did Djer proud, continuing to immortalize his words (then again, he is a Pharaoh, so by definition the body is immortalized). To say they were tight (in the musical context) is an understatement. I guess 5000 years does that for a band! I am looking forward to the next time they come to Richmond. HCTM are a definite must see.
PHOTO GALLERY
Here Come The Mummies setlist
My Party
Ra Ra Ra
Freak Flag
Whip It Out
Friction
Fenk Shui
Pants
Threeway on the Freeway
No Vaseline
She Loves Dick
Bring That Down
Flute Beatbox
Shag Carpet
Flying Solo
Make It Shake
Single Double Triple
Attack of the Wiener Man
Dirty Minds
Want to see more of Here Come The Mummies? Check out their video for “Late Night Booty Call”
