Mustard Plug, Buck-O-Nine and Omnigone have announced In Defense Of Ska Tour for the West Coast. In Defense of Ska started as a book, then a podcast, now a West Coast tour and will featured the author Aaron Carnes as well. The tour kicks off in San Diego, CA at Soda Bar on January 13th 2022.

Talk about a tour I’d like to have on the East Coast…but not like I’d be comfortable going to shows just yet anyway. Doesn’t mean you can’t go because shows, festivals and events are back and a thing again. Last weekend, Supernova Ska Festival happened which featured MP and BO9. Those two were definitely a stand out from the performances I saw so if you’re on the west coast, get some tickets, get vaccinated and skank the night away.

Mustard Plug formed in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1991, mixing furious punk rock, dynamic ska, crisp horns, and supremely catchy ska hooks. They are one of the hardest touring bands from ska’s 90s heyday racking up over 1800 shows since their inception. In 1997 they released their classic, “Evildoers Beware” record. Produced by punk legend Bill Stevenson (Descedents/Black Flag), the album sold over 200,000 copies and solidified their standing among ska-punk fans worldwide. Mustard Plug’s sophomore record “Big Daddy Multitude” (Moon Records, 1993) was recently featured on Brooklyn Vegan’s “64 Essential Ska Albums” list.

Buck-O-Nine formed in San Diego in 1991, mixing diverse elements that ranged from 2 Tone ska, California skate punk, metal and laid back, sunny reggae, creating their own distinct style of “jumpy ska” that made them one of the most popular bands on the 90s circuit. In the mid-90s, they got signed to TVT Records, who worked with such bands as Nine Inch Nails, Snoop Dogg and Sevendust. In 1997, Buck-O-Nine’s “My Town” peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, and the video got play on MTV. Their album Twenty-Eight Teeth (1997) got an honorable mention on Brooklyn Vegan’s “64 Essential Ska Albums” list.

Omnigone formed in 2019. New Noise Magazine have said that they are the “best spin-off ska punk band in history.” Led by Adam Davis, former guitarist of Link 80 and co-host of the “In Defense of Ska” podcast, Omnigone reignites the explosive ska-core sounds of his former band, but gives it a bigger sound and more hooks. Omnigone have released 1 full length record on Bad Time Records, and have a brand new record slated for 2022. Link 80’s debut album 17 Reasons (1997) was featured on Brooklyn Vegan’s Essential Ska Albums List.

In May 2021, Carnes released his book “In Defense of Ska” to a surprising amount of mainstream press: Rolling Stone, NPR, Esquire, Washington Post, GQ, The Needle Drop, Stereogum, & AV Club. As a longtime ska fan, Carnes grew tired of ska being the butt of every joke. As a working music journalist, it was outright dismissed by other people in his field. In 2013, he started working on a book that would defend the genre, urging people to reexamine ska’s misunderstood legacy, giving ska the respect it deserves. This tour brings together old and new bands and celebrates ska culture across the ages.

Tour Dates:

Jan 13, 2022: San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar

Jan 14, 2022: Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar

Jan 15, 2022: Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile

Jan 16, 2022: Garden Grove, CA @ Garden Amp

Jan 17, 2022: San Jose, CA @ The Ritz

Jan 18, 2022: San Francisco @ Bottom of the Hill

Jan 19, 2022: Sacramento, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post

Jan 20, 2022: Eugene, OR @ Old Nicks

Jan 21, 2022: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

Jan 22, 2022: Portland, OR @ Dante’s