By BREE BRAGG

The Kokomo Post Staff

The Haynes Apperson Festival released the lineup for the 2023 Haynes Apperson Festival on Tuesday afternoon, bringing back an annual festival favorite, a previous performer and a national act with a lengthy list of hits.

“Foster Park will be rocking this summer with three nights of great music that is sure to get everyone on their feet,” Paul Wyman, festival chairman, said in a press release Tuesday.

As they have in the last few years, Here Come the Mummies will kick off the festival on Thursday night. This Nashville-based funk rock band is a Haynes Apperson Festival favorite with its mysterious band members and enormous sound. Rumored to be Grammy-award winning musicians skirting contract disputes with record labels, the identities of the band members are kept entirely secret.

“They’ve become a staple of the festival, and the crowd just can’t get enough of them.” said Wyman.

The three-day festival will also feature performances by the legendary Ace Frehley, the original guitarist for KISS, as well as Starship with Mickey Thomas, responsible for hits like “We Built This City.” Thomas played the festival in 2009 as well. This year’s local headliners will include Love 4 Zero, Hence the Hero and Roger Ritual Band.

As always, concerts are free to the community but you will also be able to experience the concert as VIPs for $20. Ticket sales will start June 5 at The Wyman Group and Palmer’s Jewelry.

“This festival is a celebration of our community’s rich history and automotive heritage,” said Wyman. “More than just a celebration of cars, it’s a tribute to the ingenuity and passion that have driven our community’s progress and connected us all.”

For more information on the festival, visit haynesappersonfestival.org or stay up-to-date with festival announcements on Facebook by clicking here.

***Photo Provided | Haynes Apperson Festival***

Here Come the Mummies

Thursday June 29

A funk band known for high-energy performances and signature costumes, their music is a blend of funk, R&B, and rock, with catchy beats and soulful vocals. The band plays into the mummy theme pretty heavily. Its website says the band was “cursed after deflowering a great Pharaoh’s daughter …. Some say they are reincarnated Grammy winning studio musicians, some say their internal organs still lay in clay pots back in Egypt. Regardless, HCTM’s mysterious personas, cunning song-craft, and unrelenting live show will bend your brain, and melt your face.”

Ace Frehley

Friday June 30

The original guitarist for KISS, Frehley will perform many of the iconic band’s favorites as well as selections from his solo work. Some of his most well-known solo songs include “New York Groove,” “Rip It Out,” and “Into the Night.”

Starship with Mickey Thomas

Saturday July 1

With a career that spans more than five decades, Mickey Thomas was the frontman for both Jefferson Starship and Starship.

You can expect to hear hits from Starship and the original Jefferson Starship, as well as a few selections from Jefferson Airplane as a nod to both bands’ beginnings. Thomas provided the soaring vocals for Starship’s No. 1 hits “We Built This City,” “Sara” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”

Managing editor Erin Larison contributed to this report.

Haynes Apperson Festival Reveals 2023 Concert Line-up