John Massel,
Mike McKendrick,
Rick Johnson,
Nate Cohn,
Anthony Vilchez,
Brad Rozier,
Jim Hofer,
Brandon Jenison,
Craig DeYoung,
Matt Van,
Colin Clive,
Nick Varano,
David Kirchgessner
Representative Albums: "Evildoers Beware," "Masterpieces: 1991-2002," "Pray for Mojo"
Biography
Formed in 1991, Mustard Plug established itself as a hard-working independent band. The Grand Rapids, MI-based group, with the help of its label, the California indie ska-punk outfit Hopeless Records, repeatedly toured the United States, Europe, Japan, and South America. It made the rounds of two Warped Tours and participated in the Ska Against Racism tour. Mustard Plug began its career meagerly, releasing the cassette Skapocalypse Now! on its own Dashiki Clout label in 1992. (It would be re-released on CD by Dashiki Clout and Hopeless in 1998.) But the band's proper debut, 1993's Big Daddy Multitude, was backed by the seminal ska label Moon Records, which eventually went bankrupt. (The album was re-released by Hopeless after it signed Mustard Plug in the mid-'90s.) The CD pushed Mustard Plug into touring orbit, as they began playing a multitude of gigs. Just as ska-punk was moving into the mainstream, Mustard Plug sent Evil Doers Beware to stores in 1997. Selling more than 90,000 copies, Evil Doers was a collaboration between the band and punk legends Bill Stevenson (formerly of Black Flag) and Stephen Egerton, both of whom play in All and the Descendents. The same year, Mustard Plug quietly offered its skanking, rollicking take on the Verve Pipe's maudlin alt-rock hit "The Freshmen" for a charity CD. The song generated such a buzz that it was met with radio play on major stations throughout the Midwest. Stevenson and Egerton returned to the boards for the Simpsons-referencing Pray for Mojo, which hit stores in 1999. Yellow #5 followed three years later, and Mustard Plug issued the hits set Masterpieces: 1991-2002 in 2005. "A punk band releasing a best-of album?" the band asked on its website. "Hey NOFX did it, so it must be OK!" In 2007, still showing no signs of selling out to the majors, the group released its seventh album, In Black and White, with the assistance of Hopeless Records. ~ Christina Fuoco, All Music Guide
Dave Kirchgessner
Brandon Jenison
Jim Hofer
Nate Cohn
Colin Clive Rick Johnson
Former members
Bleu VanDyke
Ambrose Nzams
Mark Petz
Craig DeYoung
Nick Varano
Bob Engelsman
Kevin Dixon
Mustard Plug is a ska band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their songs usually include raspy vocals, fast singing, sing-along choruses, an upstroke guitar technique, distorted guitars, power chords, walking basslines, 4/4 drumming, and catchy horn parts.
Formed in 1991, the band's original members were Dave Kirchgessner, Mike McKendrick, Colin Clive, and Anthony Vilchez. Currently the band consists of Dave (Vocals), Brandon Jenison (trumpet), Jim Hofer (trombone), Nate Cohn (drums), Colin Clive (guitar/vocals), and Rick Johnson (bass). The band has regularly toured throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and South America. They have toured with the Warped Tour twice, and participated in the Ska Against Racism Tour. Brandon Jenison stated in an interview[1] that their band name originated when:
a guy in the early stages of the band was making a sandwich and that crusty stuff that forms on the mustard bottle when you put it in the fridge without wiping it off first gave him an interesting idea for a name.
