Mustard Plug's 2022 Holiday Show

The 20th Annual Mustard Plug Holiday Show! This is the 3rd or 4th time I've seen Mustard Plug in concert, and the 2nd Holiday Show I've been to. You can read about the 2019 show here, featuring one of the same opening acts!

First Opener, Big Timmy And The Heavy Chevys! Greasey and groovey in the coolest way. I definitely got echoes of 2nd-wave Ska, but most overt was the simple buttery smoothness of all their jams. One highlight was their cover of a No Doubt song towards the end of their set. I've seen their name alongside other cool Grand Rapids bands like Valentiger, Lynn & The Moonshine Runners, and False Harbor...I have no idea how Big Timmy And The Chevys have gone under my radar, TBH. They're definitely on my list to see again!

Back again were Dance Contraption, as seen previously in 2019. Again, I cannot get over how positive and upbeat the music is - there's some profanity, but everything is presented in the same demeanor as, say, Less Than Jake.

Koffin Kats were the third opener, blending their wonderful Misfits-esque operettic vocals with a hard-charging rockabilly attitude (and plenty of riding the standup bass to boot!). These guys really whipped the crowd into a frenzy and the first real mosh pits began during their set. And, I still can't get over their stage presence and showmanship!

And finally, the headliners, Mustard Plug. This was their 20th Holiday Show, replete with a mashup of 2 songs from Wham!: Last Christmas blended smoothly with Careless Whisper. The OGs that they are, the lead singer Dave said that they'd been playing The Intersection for 30 years as a group. True icons!

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