On sweet-tea night, Chris Tomlin proved why he is the big star in Christian music at this moment. With a huge crowd scattered on the riverbank, Tomlin even made mention that he never envisioned such a turnout. Fresh off a new Grammy win, Chris Tomlin was welcomed to Chattanooga by the crowd and a sand sculpture up the Riverbend Beach.

Tonight, two of the best acts ever to come to Riverbend make their appearances back to back. Here Come The Mummies appear on the Bud Light Stage from 7:45 p.m. until 9 p.m., followed by Mingo Fishtrap at the Meo Mio Stage. If you like the funk, soul, and the sound of super-tight horn sections, then these are for you! Get there early, as big crowds are expected for both shows.

Here Come The Mummies, rumored to be the best session musicians in the country, completely conceal their identities, supposedly to protect them from identification by their respective record labels. I happen to know they are real mummies, thousands of years old, and they bring the funk from beyond the grave. Back at their Mummy haunt, several Grammy awards are stacked up like bags of bones. The boys in bandages play original funky songs, with a definite double entendre – a tiny bit dirty, but clean enough to be played on the radio. Their live show is incredible and has my highest recommendation. Check them out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETHvSTT6PA8.

Ditto for Mingo Fishtrap… One of Nightfall’s biggest shows last year returns to Chattanooga in the Meo Mio Stage, just 100 yards from the Bud Light stage. The Austin, Texas based soul group brings the fun and the soul. Check them out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQNs23SHe3k&list=UUk4MJRIueNnSBb7xMttdtog&feature=plcp.

For those that like it a little tamer, Grammy nominees The Band Perry are on the Coke Stage at 9:30 p.m. For those Riverbend haters that say Riverbend never has anyone current, here are some facts – The Band Perry has 35 big-time award nominations from CMT, CMA, Billboard, and Grammy for the past two years, winning several. They have a 4X platinum record, and several gold and other platinum ones. Of course, tomorrow night’s Charlie Wilson is no slouch either – he was named by Billboard as the CURRENT number two Adult R & B artist in the world. He has 4 Grammy nominations in the past two years.  The last three years, he has been either number one in the world, or number 2 Adult Urban artist. I think that is pretty current, don’t you think?

For the entire line-up, go to www.riverbendfestival.com. Just click on “line-up”. You can then sort by day or stage or artist. A cool thingy you can get is a “pointsmap” for your smart-phone. It gives you a map of the festival grounds and who’s playing when and where. It’s free and available by clicking http://riverbendfestival.com/pages/pointsmap.

Don’t forget to check out lunchtime activities as Riverbend stars visit local establishments in town to sing a song or two and sign autographs. For a schedule just click on – http://riverbendfestival.com/pages/riverbend-outreach. Just look on the left side and click on any of the three for schedules, places and times.

For all the 411 on Riverbend, check out my Riverbend Survival Kit at http://chattanoogan.com/2012/6/6/227794/Chattanoogas-Live-Music-Scene.aspx . Just click and away you go!

See you there!

Email Bob Payne at davrik2000@yahoo.com  or www.facebook.com/davrik2000