Fans young and old skanked out to classic 90s ska with Michigan legends Mustard Plug at Grewal Hall in Lansing.
Grand Rapids-based Mustard Plug made a name for themselves in the early 90s by putting out their brand of feel-good ska-infused punk, and they haven’t let up since. The core of the band has remained largely intact and has kept their loyal followers fed with mustardy ska goodness with regular touring and albums.
Three other Michigan-based bands worked over the crowd before the main event, with Foxgrave leading the way. The group describes themselves as “Megadeth worshiping punk rockers.” And while they definitely didn’t have the classic thrash metal sound, they brought some punchy baselines and a blue-collar punk sound that got the crowd amped up.
Next up, the Singing Lungs kept the energy going with some 90s-influenced punk and grunge rock.They were followed by Rodeo Boys, the Lansing-based band that has a working class alt-rock sound that they describe as being for “queers and steers alike.” As the most local band, they had an eager crowd there to support them, and they definitely brought the hometown energy when they closed out their set with guitarist Caleb Shook and lead singer Tiff Hannay moshing into each other to close out their final song.
About 15 minutes later, Mustard Plug lead vocalist Dave Kirchgessner emerged on stage to a raucous applause sporting the classic ska look of dark sunglasses and a sportcoat. It only took a couple of songs before the skanking, the two-step dance style synonymous with the ska scene, was in full force. Some parents who grew up in the heyday of ska punk even brought their kids and skanked along with them.By offering up classics like “Box,” “Brain on Ska” and “Mr. Smiley,” it was almost like Mustard Plug commanded fans to form an old-school skank circle pit and to joyfully collide into each other while shouting out the chorus to each song. At one point, Kirchgessner even paused to say how the venue had hosted a 90s party the night before but that the band was going to give an even better one – and for many that night, there was no doubt it would be.
Mustard Plug showed that they hadn’t lost a step in their more than 30 years together. With “Mendoza,” from their 1997 album Evildoers Beware!, horns and saxophone bounced about together with founding guitarist Colin Clive’s sharp guitar and 20-year member Nathan Cohn’s tight drumming.
But it wasn’t all about the classics though. On “Why Does it Have to Be So Hard,” from their 2023 album Where Did All My Friends Go?, trombone player Jim Hofer swapped out his brass for a melodica. The instrument looks like a keyboard with a mouthpiece attached which made for a unique sight and provided a new depth of sound.
Mustard Plug then kept the 90s references going with some fantastic covers, including the Fugazi classic “Waiting Room.” Kirchgessner may have blown some of his slightly younger (than him at least) fans away when he told them that he had actually seen Fugazi perform at a basement party down the road in East Lansing for a $3 cover charge back in 1988.
As part of their encore, Kirchgessner, Clive, and crew offered up a fan-favorite “Skankin’ by Numbers” followed by another 90s classic with a cover of “The Freshmen,” by local heroes The Verve Pipe.
While ska might not have maintained its popularity or had a revival like other genres, Mustard Plug showed that there’s still a loyal following and an eager fan base ready for a good time. They’ll even be playing Canada and Europe this summer and continue to produce music and play regularly throughout the U.S., so there will likely be more opportunities to catch them if you’re so inclined.
MUSTARD PLUG
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