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 the "greatest hits" album
Masterpieces: 1991–2002. Mustard Plug was on the label
Hopeless Records for many years, but had a period of free agency until their signing with Bad Time Records. 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 canceled 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. In 2019, they embarked 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. On September 8, 2023, the band released
Where Did All My Friends Go?, their first studio album in 9 years, on label Bad Time Records. ==Line-up==