It all started June 18, 1991 when Colin and Dave ran into each other
at a Special Beat show in Ann Arbor and discussed starting Grand Rapids first Ska band.
After two practices in first drummer Mike McKendrick's basement, they played their first
gig at Mike's girlfriend's birthday party, November 21st, 1991. They played five "songs" including 3
originals, a Black Sabbath cover and something called "Ska Karaoke". They played each twice,
yet somehow the crowd was either too drunk or too nice to tell them to stop.
Even though their first public performance on December 18, 1991 was an open mic night where they
were kicked off stage after only 3 songs, they kept "plugging away" through numerous lineup changes,
horrible day jobs and in between, released their first tape "Skapocalypse Now!" in late 1992.
Mustard Plug began their ascent to ska-punk demi-gods with their debut album, "Big Daddy
Multitude," on Moon Records in 1993. The band's mix of melody, horn-supplied ska, and just the right
touch of punk had kids skankin' and slammin' from coast to coast as the band toured the country to
no end.
Hopeless Records released the band's 1997 follow-up album titled "Evildoers Beware," which became an
immediate sensation in the ska world and beyond. "The Plug" toured incessantly, including a slot on
the 1998 Ska Against Racism Tour with the likes of Less Than Jake. They played at Snow Jam in
Canada, as well as handling a sold out Japanese Tour. Mustard Plug also made appearances on a
variety of high-profile compilations. Among those comps were "Hopelessly Devoted To You Too",
"Skankin' In The Pit and "Ska Sucks".
Mustard Plug recently released their third full-length assault, titled "Pray For Mojo", once
again produced by punk gods Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton (Descendants, All). As if that
weren't enough, the band will be taking the new material out on the road for the rest of the new
millennium. So join the fun and get hip to the craziest thing out of Grand Rapids, Michigan since
Gerald Ford tumbled down the stairs and into the Oval Office!