Mustard Plug’s Ska-tastic Journey

Beginning in basements and punk dives in the early "˜90s, now legendary locals Mustard Plug are perhaps Michigan’s biggest ska claim to fame.

These Grand Rapids-based rude boys have longevity, not to mention popularity. They’re still skanking across stages nationwide with their unique blend of ska, punk and pop – a sound they developed creating in a vacuum, bringing the genre to a place where it didn’t really exist.

ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS

"Dave [Kirchgessner, vocals] and Colin [Clive, guitar/vocals] used to see each other at all the punk shows in the "˜80s," explained the band’s trombone player, Jim Hofer. "Once they both graduated college, they came up with the bright idea of starting a ska band in GR, since there were no ska bands there."

With the addition of Rick Johnson on bass, Nate Cohn on drums and Brandon Jenison on trumpet, the sextet caught on quickly. Ska – an energetic Jamaican hybrid of Caribbean music blended with American jazz and R&B – was becoming a thing with a capital T, but there were few local bands for ska fans to follow.

Mustard Plug quickly found themselves in demand.

"Before I was in Mustard Plug, I was in a ska band from Detroit," Hofer said. "Back then, Michigan was actually a hotbed for ska. We could easily play shows in Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo."

REAL COOL TIME

Mustard Plug’s debut album, Skapocalypse Now!, snagged them wider distribution and fan acclaim. It was re-released in 1998 due to popular demand, and it was a mere hop of their crepe-soled shoes from there to the national tour circuit, where they would put more than 300,000 miles on their trusty touring van.

Today, Mustard Plug has plenty of additional numbers to brag about: 20 years as a band, 1,500 shows and 200,000 albums sold (they’ve released eight studio albums to date).

While they’ve toured far beyond Grand Rapids, including treks through Europe, Japan and South America, plus stints on the Warped Tour and the Ska Against Racism tour, they still like to keep it real.

"The SAR tour was huge for us. We toured with Less Than Jake, The Toasters, Five Iron Frenzy," said Hofer. "Likewise, the Ska is Dead tours that Dave put together were amazing, but we’re all proud of our roots, and we tout Michigan wherever we go!"

CAN’T CONTAIN IT

Fans from Michigan and around the world turned out in full force to help their 2014 album, Can’t Contain It, become a reality.

The band recorded the set at bandmate Johnson’s Cold War Studios and then turned to Kickstarter to help finance mixing and production of the album. That choice solidified Mustard Plug’s confidence in their fan base, as the Kickstarter raised double their initial financial goal.

The new album is said to be Mustard Plug’s best to date, as the band continues as one of Michigan’s most popular musical exports, part of a scene that just keeps growing.

"Kickstarter was really rewarding for us," Hofer said. "I think you get out what you put in, and we worked really hard. It’s a viable option for bands that aren’t on labels. There are a lot of really talented folk and bluegrass artists in Michigan, electronic and punk, too. And, we probably had more support from here than any other place. So, thanks, Michigan!"

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