The 11th Orange County Brew Ska Ska Spotlight featuring Mustard Plug and Half Past Two

The 11th Orange County Brew Ska Ska Spotlight featuring Mustard Plug and Half Past Two

Brew Ska Ska Tickets On Sale Now!

The 11^th Orange County Brew Ska Ska is just around the corner, featuring an afternoon of craft beer tasting along with music from an all-star lineup of ska and ska punk on Saturday, September 11 at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, CA.

Brew Ska Ska attendees will enjoy performances from Less Than Jake, Hepcat, The Aggrolites, Mustard Plug, The Toasters, Bite Me Bambi and Half Past Two.  Those 21+ can enjoy unlimited craft beer samples until 4:00 PM while choosing from approximately160 beers from some of the best craft breweries in the region and nationwide.

Highwire Daze recently interviewed Mustard Plug and Half Past Two to find out what to expect from an epic day at the Brew Ska Ska.  Read on…

Mustard Plug

Introduce yourself, what you do in the band, and where you are based out of?
This is Jim Hofer, I play Trombone. We are based out of Grand Rapids, MI (Beer City).

What are you looking forward to the most about Brew Ska Ska?
We’re playing with some amazing ska bands that are all friends of ours at a beer fest, what’s not to like?

What could one expect from your live show at Brew Ska Ska?
I think by then we will have dusted off the cobwebs and gotten back to our high energy show that’s kept us on the road for 28 years.

What is the name of your latest or upcoming CD or EP and what inspired the title?
Our last album was “Can’t Contain It” which was released in 2014. Just like every other band, we spent the lockdown writing songs though. And we’re still writing, but hopefully we’ll have something together soon.

Select two songs you may be playing in your set and what inspired the lyrics.
“Not Enough” was inspired by our love for writing & performing. “Unite and Fight” (which was just released on the Ska Against Racism compilation) is about our stance on racism/sexism/homophobia/transphobia or any other type of hatred.

Overall, how has the pandemic affected you and the band – did you find yourself being creative at all during this time?
Yes, despite our age we have figured out how to write songs online and share them with each other. Our song “Unite and Fight” was written and recorded in two weeks without any of us ever being in the same room!

Any strange or unusual happening in the past while out on the road?
Too many! One time in the 90s we played South By Southwest. There was this guy dancing really hard right in front of the stage through the whole set. Afterward he came up and said, “Hi, I loved your set. My name is Al.” Then hung out with us. We were dumbstruck.

If you could open up for any band, either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Weird Al Yankovic, but that actually already happened. I would have to say The Clash. There aren’t many punk or ska-punk bands around today that haven’t been influenced by them.

What is your favorite beer/brew of choice and why?
I’m partial to some of the breweries around Grand Rapids like Founders or Brewery Vivant. My favorite beer is probably Bells Two Hearted from Kalamazoo.

Do you have any messages for Brew Ska Ska attendees this year?
Please get vaccinated if you haven’t already and let’s party!

Half Past Two

Introduce yourself, what you do in the band, and where you are based out of?
Tara: Oh heyyy! We’re Tara (she/her), Max (he/him), and David (he/him) and we’re three members of Half Past Two. I (Tara) sing, Max plays guitar, and David plays keys, however there are nine members in the band. All three of us grew up together and we started this band in high school right here in Orange County.

What are you looking forward to the most about Brew Ska Ska?
David: Well, the line-up this year is pretty intense from the top on down. This is going to be our first show after a year and a half of nothing, so a big outdoor festival filled with friends and bands we love and admire is such a huge way to get back out into the world.

What could one expect from your live show at Brew Ska Ska?
Max: It’s been a long time since our last show so we have a lot of pent up energy to get out! Performing live is such an integral part of why we do what we do and we’re anxious and excited to get back out there.

What is the name of your latest or upcoming CD or EP and what inspired the title?
Max: We just finished up our new full-length album (our first in 12 years) and toward the end of the process the title became clear: Half Past Two. Right now we’re the best we’ve ever been and feel so cohesive as a whole that self-titling the record just fits perfectly.

Select two songs you may be playing in your set and what inspired the lyrics.
Tara: One of our new songs that we’ll be debuting at BrewHaHa is “Scratched CD.” I wrote it out of annoyance and frustration, it’s about someone that sounds like a scratched CD or a broken record, just repeating themselves or their rude behavior. Just that feeling that makes you want to roll your eyes at someone when they are on your last nerve, maybe hoping they’ll change but not really holding your breath for it. And we’re definitely playing “Shine” which is also on our new record and was featured on Asian Man Records/BadTime Records/SkaPunkDaily’s 2020 Ska Against Racism Compilation. That song I wrote for my daughter Neely who was born with and is affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) to try and raise awareness for her rare disease and also, to help show me a way out of my sorrow and depression at the time of her diagnosis. It just says that things are unknown and that things can get better; I tried to be hopeful because that’s what I needed to hear for myself when I was writing it, and I love hearing from people that listen to it and identify with the song, especially the people that are caring for or thinking of a loved one.

Overall, how has the pandemic affected you and the band – did you find yourself being creative at all during this time?
David: We actually found ourselves being the most creative we’ve been in a long while during the pandemic. We made a new record, recorded cover videos, and grew in a way we hadn’t before the pandemic hit. It was weird the whole way, because there’s nine of us and we can’t all be in the same room at the same time. So there was a lot of demo sharing, people writing and rewriting parts on the fly because there were times we didn’t know what someone else had done. We’re super proud of everything we’ve done over the past 15 months.

Has anything strange or unusual happened in the past while out on the road?
Tara: Once backstage at Warped Tour, I was walking to the Reel Big Fish bus with Aaron Barrett, Legend! This girl came running up to us and she was excited, she said “Wow, can I have a picture with you, my brother is going to be so jealous!” but she handed Aaron her camera. She wanted a picture with ME, I was so confused! She and her brother had watched us play somewhere before and they were fans, I couldn’t believe it, that never happens. I asked her “Do you want him in the picture, too?” and pointed to Aaron. She had a strange look on her face and just said “Sure?” Haha. I love that story. I tell it whenever I get a chance, it was so cool, wish I could thank that girl and her brother!

If you could open up for any band, either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Max: I would have to say The Hippos simply because I’d love to have the chance to see them live. That would be a dream come true.

What is your favorite beer/brew of choice and why?
David: I absolutely love Sabre-tooth Squirrel by Smog City, it’s hoppy and malty and just tastes like relaxation to me. Also, if someone wants to talk Three Weavers into brewing their Tiny Mahalo IPA again, I will personally buy the whole batch. It was the perfect summer bbq beer.

Do you have any messages for Brew Ska Ska attendees this year?
Tara: I hope that everyone that comes to Brew Ska Ska has fun, skanks their pants off, shares which beers are the best, stays cool, acts cool, gets vaccinated, and wears a mask when it’s appropriate. We just want everyone to be safe, we have kids and vulnerable people in our lives, and we’re musicians and music lovers that would be ecstatic to get to play music like we are used to. We can keep music live, we’ll get through this together, but everyone needs to do their part. Thank you so much for looking out for the Ska lovers and beer lovers at the festival!

(Interviews by Ken Morton)

Mustard Plug on Facebook
Half Past Two on Facebook
Brew Ska Ska on Facebook
Ska Against Racism on Bandcamp