Mustard Plug
Mustard Plug is an American ska punk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, consisting of Dave Kirchgessner (vocals), Brandon Jenison (trumpet), Jim Hofer (trombone), Nate Cohn (drums), Colin Clive (guitar/vocals), and Rick Johnson (bass). Formed in 1991, 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. , the band has released seven studio albums and continues to tour actively. Explaining the band's goal, Jim Hofer said, "We may have some messages in our music, but essentially we  just do this because we love it and we want people to lighten up and have fun." History. The band formed in 1991 after Colin and Dave both attended a Special Beat show. The band's original members were Dave Kirchgessner, Mike McKendrick, Colin Clive, and Anthony Vilchez. There was virtually no ska scene in Grand Rapids at the time, so Mustard Plug was able to develop a unique sound and draw a large following. Brandon Jenison stated in an interview 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." In 2002, the band released "Yellow #5", and supported the album for years on tour. In 2005, they released a "greatest hits" album "". Mustard Plug was on the label Hopeless Records for many years, but as of 2010 were free agents. The band celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2011 with a national tour. In 2012 the band had an idea for a live album called "Mustard Plug:Live!", but cancelled  in favor of their 2014 album "Can't Contain It", the recording of which was funded via Kickstarter. The album features cover art by Jeff Rosenstock of Bomb the Music Industry. In May 2017 the band performed at Pouzza Fest in Montreal. As of 2019, they will be embarking on a tour of Japan. The band continues to perform around the United States on a regular basis. In 2021, long-time bassist Rick Johnson left the group.