Pre-Show Primer : 'Life' on the Road; Q & A with Here Come The Mummies

We’re in for a funky Friday night at the Gothic Theatre this week with Here Come The Mummies. The eight-piece band bring their brand of ‘terrifying funk from beyond the grave’ through Colorado - and it got us thinking. What is life on the road like for a band full of 5,000 year-old Egyptian Mummies? Among other myths, some claim that Here Come The Mummies are reincarnated Grammy-Winning studio musicians, but manage to keep their identities with this project ‘under wraps.’ No matter who they are - they’ve promised to bring the mayhem, and melt faces in the process.

So, what’s life like on the road for a band full of reincarnated Egyptian Mummies? Mummy Cass & Midnight Mummy helped paint the picture.

How is ‘life’ on the road?

Mummy Cass: It’s like we’re crates of turnips in a refrigerator truck. Lots of being carted around, lots of being shaken up. Then, as turnips often do, we put on a massive funk-rock alien close-encounter every night.

Midnight: Rock out, veg out, rock out, veg out. Rinse and repeat.

How well do your coffins travel on tour?

Mummy Cass: Our original sarcophaguses stay put at The Crypt. They are super heavy. Anyway, we’ve got more plush accommodations now that we’re drawing breath again.

(With MTV’s ‘Cribs’ in mind) Take us through your tour bus.

Mummy Cass: Well, Spaz might be in the front lounge gulping down enough coffee to kill an alpaca, or at night, just enough beer to paralyze a chiwawa. The TV will be on HGTV and no one will change the channel for some reason. Midnight and Dr. Yo will are probably recording on their laptops. Highlander and The Pole will be staring at HGTV, eating “granola.” Back in the bunk area it will be frigid to the point you need a winter hat. HPOD will still be asleep at 5PM. He’ll eat breakfast after the show. Important “business meetings” will be happening in the back lounge, where HGTV will also be on for some reason.

Going back to 1500 BCE, average lifespan in Ancient Egypt was only age 34 for men and age 30 for women. How do you all keep thriving after all these years?

Mummy Cass: That might be the upside of being cursed to wander the Earth forever in search of the perfect riff, not growing old. Plus playing music every night is good for the soul. We were expecting flying cars by now, though.

Midnight: Cheap thermal suits, too. What’s up Modernity?

Tombs are typically dark, cold places. Is it a tough adjustment to be on stage in a hot, sweaty dance party environment with constant flashing lights?

Mummy Cass: Uh, yes it is. Sometimes, it feels like the lights are shining on the back of the inside of your skull.

Midnight: I feel like the lights are in my head, shining out.

Fairly common artist riders include things like La Croix, assortments of local beers, hummus and assorted chips and dips, after-show pizza’s and so much more. What are some of the items on the rider for a band full of mummies?

Mummy Cass: That, and peach cobbler, vanilla pudding, poached salmon, chicken cacciatore, veggie dogs, deli meat, tacos… Salad. Taco-salad. You name it. Sewing kits. Oil paintings from the renaissance. Relish.

Midnight: Fries, roasted potatoes, shish kabobs, baguettes, assorted mustards, Champagne, chocolate covered ants, rosé, port, amarone, chicken nuggets, White Castle. What isn’t on it? That’d be the shorter list.

What does an off day look like for the band?

Mummy Cass: Throwing all that stuff up.

Who are some of the bands you’re currently listening to, or bands that you hope to collaborate with, whether on tour or in studio?

Mummy Cass: Perpetual Groove, who will be out with us this Fall; Saxsquatch, Dopapod, Big Sam, Steven Lewis’ Big Band of Fun, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Galactic, lots more.. plus all the greats of the past who we influenced.

Midnight: that’s true.

Funksters Here Come The Mummies are live in concert at the Gothic Theatre Friday, September 8, 2023 as a part of their Harmonic Gravity Tour with special guests Perpetual Groove. Tickets and info are available at gothictheatre.com. Here Come The Mummies are made up of Mummy Cass (guitar, vocals), Eddie Mummy (drums, vocals), K.W. TuT (bass, vocals), Spaz (keys, vocals), The Pole! (bass), Midnight Mummy (bari & tenor sax, keys, percussion, talk box, vocals), Dr. Yo (sax, vocal, tambo), Highlander (tenor sax), “H-Pod” (High Priest of Death) (trumpet).

GRiZ Electrified With His Multi-Dimensioned Live Band At Red Rocks

Grant Kwiecinski AKA GRiZ blew us away with his Live Band Performance at Red Rocks on Friday!   He assembled about a 15 person band including himself on the saxophone, his partner in crime Muzzy Bear on the guitar, surprise guest performances, back up singers, drummers of all kinds, multiple brass instruments and even a flute player! We had the pleasure of seeing them at their rehearsal the night before, but nothing prepared us for the production they put on at Red Rocks. The cohesion that all of these instruments had blended GRiZ's mostly electronic style of music with a more instrumental funk that had people dancing all night long! 

Although GRiZ has been mostly absent on social media in the past few months, we could tell the second he stepped on stage that he loved seeing all of his devoted fans. We saw so many people wearing his merchandise that says things like, "Ain't bad, Always rad", "All we need is more love" and "Good will continue." These little reminders of spreading positivity and love were seen and heard all through out his live band performance as well! 

Denver Music Spotlight: Who Is Miggy Camacho?

32207883_10214467119385721_5040564719413362688_n.jpg

Hailing from the City of Angels, Miggy Camacho has been one of the Denver music scenes true ambassadors to live music. Just Miggy as he is known by has been at the forefront of blessing us with some of the finest R&B, Hip Hop, Soul, Funk and Motown music our city has to offer. From rocking the decks to promoting one of the best nightly parties at Goosetown Tavern on a weekly basis, Miggy is the heart and soul of a scene that truly caters to those who appreciate the throwback sound of yesteryear. His events always spark up nostalgia (Sorry Fresh Prince, we had to) with some classics and rare unreleased joints that people often find themselves scratching their heads when played. Truly a music ambassador in our ever growing music scene. If you are ever in the Bluebird District drop by Goosetown Tavern for a drink or two and enjoy some good quality grown folks music, tell him we sent you!

Make sure to check him out and one of the many events he hosts on a weekly basis. this week the amazing and talented Mandy Yoches and The Hell Knows will be Miggy's guest along with DJ Polyphoni (who just rocked our amazing anniversary party). As always the party is free and no cover for those 21+ 

31959438_2054370584830590_2155873823663063040_n.jpg

Show Alert | Red Bull SoundSelect's Brownout do "Brown Sabbath" This Tuesday at Hi-Dive

You guys should realize by now just how much Ultra5280 loves Red Bull Sound Select. A beautiful, new-age platform where fans can collaborate on playlists, discover new artists, and get access to hundreds of super cheap - and sometimes even free - concerts a year? This program sits at the forefront of new-age music discovery, and we’ve loved taking advantage of Denver being chosen as one of the first markets for SoundSelect to call home over the last year. We’ve covered multiple SoundSelect shows over the last year, and featured SoundSelect artists like CRL CRRLL, In The Whale, and The Epilogues at numerous Ultra5280 events. 

SoundSelect is continuing to work hard on the artist development portion of it’s program, helping bring young artists to new fans across the globe, and they’re kicking off year two in Denver by bringing Austin-based group Brownout to the Hi-Dive this coming Tuesday, February 24th. The group describes themselves as “hardcore Latin Funk”, and I’m really not sure what could be more tantalizing than hearing each those words used together to describe one single group. Supported by Denver SoundSelect artists The Yawpers and Dragondeer, Brownout Presents “Brown Sabbath”, the group’s re-imagined versions of Black Sabbath songs. SoundSelect events like this Tuesday’s show are open to the public, but members of the SoundSelect community get first dibs on discounted tickets, as well as fun bonus’ that come with each event. Fans who join the SoundSelect community before 9pm on Tuesday and RSVP to the event online will be eligible to get tickets to the show for a measly $3 dollars (no, we’re not kidding), while tickets without RSVP will be $15. In case you needed more of a reason to come, the first 50 fans through the door of the show that night will receive a free Illegal Pete’s burrito. Good music and delicious food - what more could you ask for? 

This Tuesday’s show is the first of many amazing performances Denver will see from SoundSelect artists this year, and registering with the SoundSelect community is the easiest way to guarantee you don’t miss a minute of fun. Register online at www.redbullsoundselect.com/login, and while you’re there, be sure to RSVP for this week’s show. Hope to see you there - you know we’ll be getting down.

The Motet at Cervantes: 1/28 & 1/29: Review

HOLY DANCE PARTY. Friday and Saturday at Cervantes brought the madness with two sold out shows featuring The Motet.  Some of the most talented musicians Denver has, brought together by Dave Watts to bring a raw, funky twist on some favorite covers.  Friday night was Funk is Dead, a tribute to The Grateful Dead while Saturday was the Best of Halloween bringing an array of covers from your favorite Halloween show. It was a fun, funky-filled weekend full of singing and dancing, displaying some serious local talent.

Friday night was ridiculously packed and as a person of 5'3", I was nervous! Thankfully, I found my niche on the upstairs balcony near the fan that cooled the sweaty cluster of people below me. The stage was blanketed in red roses and skulls, paying adoration to a truly iconic band, The Grateful Dead. As the show started, they did not hesitate to dive right in, starting things off with a little jam session including six musicians before bringing the rest of the band to the stage. As they started to file in, I had forgotten what twelve people on stage looked like; insanity yet so much fun. Once all twelve members were accounted for, the band got funky playing “Help on the Way”. There is certainly an art to a Grateful Dead setlist, and lucky for me I had my resident Dead head, Andy, with me. If it weren’t for him explaining when one song actually stopped and the other started, I couldn’t truly appreciate the ridiculous technical talent these guys have. Their fifteen minute jam sessions were comparable to the Dead’s, but with their own funky, Motet twist. Other great covers included  “Slipknot”, “Franklin’s Tower”, “Sampson and Delilah”, “Dancin’ in the Streets”, and “Scarlet Begonias” to name just a few.

Saturday night brought the Best of Halloween and while the vibe was a bit more tamed, it was definitely a sold out show and Halloween in January. The band also celebrated drummer Dave Watts’ birthday with the rest of Cervantes, the man behind the band. Sadly, though, I felt underdressed and kind of lame that I was not in my finest costume; I didn’t put two and two together. The ones that did dress up, however, made up for everyone else. I saw some pretty outrageous costumes that night, like the guy that had a fuzzy vest-like dress with glowing balls on it. You heard me. It was AWESOME. If anyone can identify this man, I will buy you Taco Bell. Again, I found my niche on the balcony, this time on the other side. The show started with some Jamiroquai; a great introduction to the night followed by The Beatles, “We Can Work It Out”. There was no telling what was coming up next and to my surprise and delight, the band started playing Prince. It was pretty amazing to see how vast the talent on stage was. They had no limitations to what they were capable of, all while making the covers their own. Every thing had a funky twist to it making it easy to dance to. The Motet’s version of Tower of Power’s “What is Hip?” had everyone dancing and really showcased the bassist’s talent as he played one of the most difficult bass lines effortlessly.

It’s always fun when you can sing along with the band and The Motet is always a blast. They are some outrageously talented musicians and they always bring the party. They are taking their show around Colorado and making their way around the west before heading east this year. The band will be busy but make sure you check them out at the Snowball Music Festival in Vail this year and show your support for the Denver music scene.

Amanda