Who’d a thunk it? Even band frontman David Kirchgessner can’t believe that more than two decades later, the Grand Rapids ska band is as popular as ever.
By John Sinkevics
LocalSpins.com
When Mustard Plug first blasted out of the gates with its punk-styled ska music back in 1991, frontman David Kirchgessner figured it would be a short-lived affair.
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“I didn’t think it would last a year even,” the Grand Rapids singer recalls. “It started out as just a hobby. One thing just led to another and we kept on pushing it further and further to see how far it would go. After a certain point, you have momentum behind it, you’ve got fans and records out there. We just enjoy it. But to think a band would last 20 years is just absurd.”
Absurd and downright impressive: Not only has the West Michigan-based band continued to build its ultra-enthusiastic fan base while crisscrossing the country for concerts (boasting appearances on the Warped Tour and Ska Against Racism), but it recently signed an album deal with Florida’s No Idea Records, a label with an international reputation on the punk scene.
“Can’t Contain It,” Mustard Plug’s eighth album and first studio recording in seven years, officially was released in mid-January and has drawn rave reviews for its rollicking, horn-spiced party anthems.
“Each album takes longer,” concedes Kirchgessner, citing “marriages, kids and day jobs” which can make it difficult for the band’s six members to synchronize schedules. “The songwriting, we did that over the course of five years. And we’ve been touring the whole time. We’ve never stopped that.”
REVVING UP THE PYRAMID SCHEME BEFORE HITTING THE WEST COAST
The band – Kirchgessner, bassist/keyboard player Rick Johnson, guitarist Colin Clive, trumpet player Brandon Jenison, drummer Nathan Cohn and trombone player Jim Hofer – cranks up its party bus for a hometown show this weekend, playing The Pyramid Scheme at 8 p.m. Saturday with The Koffin Kats, The Campanellis and S.O.L. Tickets are $10 and available online at The Pyramid Scheme site. And check out the Local Spins review of the new album.
Saturday’s show signals the beginning of a busy spring and summer for Mustard Plug, which kicks off a West Coast tour in California on Wednesday. The band follows that in May with Midwest and East Coast concerts.
“We’re focusing on doing a lot more festivals,” says Kirchgessner. “You get more bang for the buck, bigger crowds and more diverse crowds.”
The group’s hard-earned success from humble beginnings – independently releasing its first album on cassette tapes back in 1992 – can be attributed to this relentless touring and a true love for the ska punk music that set it apart from other West Michigan bands in the 1990s.
Kirchgessner drew inspiration from England’s ska movement, which spawned bands such as The Specials, Madness and The Beat.
“The main thing is just the energy with it. It has a lot of energy and it’s upbeat and it’s just really fun music,” he says. “It’s just kind of a celebration of life.”
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
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