The mysterious garage punk outfit The Mummies played a searing sold-out set at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere on Saturday night (4/23) as the wrapped-up budget rockers tore the house down.
Before the California-based band took the stage though there were a few inspired opening acts. First up was Von Mons, a quartet from Asbury Park, NJ who banged out their upbeat punk in classic Ramones style. The group (Cory Williams – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Casey Estelle – Vocals, Bass, Tyler Chevalier Kolling – Vocals, Drums, Sean Gulbin – Lead Guitar) overloaded the noise-pop inspired punk rock with offerings like “I Don’t Want To Be A Boy” and “Snake Charmer”.
Up next were the Brooklyn-based throwback rockers Mala Vista who delivered their straight-ahead punk style with flair. Tracks like “Nowhere to Go” and “NY Groove” displayed ripping guitars as the band (Manuel Labour – bass, Ben McIsaac – Drums/vocals, Erik LAMF – lead Guitar, Myke Miranda – vocals/guitar) sounded straight out of the late seventies gritty New York punk scene.
The headliners were up next, and they wasted no time, firing fuzzy riffs, bass runs, electro keys and super impactful percussion right from the opening number “Come On Up”. The raucous four-piece (Maz Kattuah – bass guitar Larry Winther – lead guitar Trent Ruane – organ, saxophone Russell Quan – drums) were flailing all over the place but still incredibly tight musically with Ruane biting Winther’s leg at one point.
The band delivered a ripping cover of “In and Out” originally by Larry and the Blue Notes as the heavy drumming from Quan propelled things ever forward and kept the whole sound together. The surf guitar slamming of “A Girl Like You” had a huge ending while later Ruane managed to balance his full organ on the back of his neck for an impressive period of time.
After some false starts that organ blared to life on “Stronger Than Dirt” with some twisting stop-starts. The headbanging crush of The Rockin’ Ramrods original “She Lied” was raucous while “One By One” was straight ahead, balls-out rock. The band wrapped up their set continuing the clanging chaos with “I’m Gonna Kill My Baby Tonight” before an encore that saw “The Fly” get an airing before they closed the night with the trippy sci-fi ode “(You Must Fight to Live) On the Planet of the Apes”.
For a band who rarely plays live, this set by the legendary Mummies was dynamite, complete with energy, humor, power, and most importantly jet engine fueled, bare-bones rock and roll.
