Featured Live Music Artist of the Week - Mister Mustard

Beatles fans will recognize the name of the band and immediately think it will be a Beatles cover band, and, well, they would be correct.  Mister Mustard is a side project of the original 3 members of the HandGrenades.  One of those members now plays in The Rockingbirds, which we have featured here before, and the other two remain in the HandGrenades.

The HandGrenades are well known in the music scene not just for their musical chops and songwriting talents, but also for spot-on perfect harmonies.

So, one would expect Mister Mustard to also have spot-on perfect harmonies - correct?  Yep - and that would be a correct expectation - and they far exceed that expectation on stage.  The band consists of 2 guitars, 1 bass, and 1 drum - the standard rock combo.  All three guitarists take tuns on lead vocals of various Beatles songs from the early years to the final years - and all three guitarists combine for harmonies throughout the songs.  And the do it well, very well.

I was so focused on the music and having a good time, I didn't keep track of a set list, but they did play once on Saturday and once on Sunday on the Apple Jam Stage at Chicago's Fest For Beatles Fans.  And they packed the atrium both times.  Honestly, it almost felt like a Beatles concert with girls screaming (seriously) during some songs.  And, well, everybody screaming when they pulled off the rising vocals in "I've Got A Feeling".  If you know the song, you know the part I'm talking about.  And of course, with those vocals, the music is also rising.  Talk about nailing a song spot-on perfect.  Literally, the crowd, every person in the crowd, screamed and whistled and clapped at that point - literally everybody.

Their on stage presence is relaxed and fun, which is not surprising given that is exactly how one would describe the HandGrenades and Rockingbirds.  But, at the same time, as one young lady sitting behind me said, they "even sort of act like The Beatles up there, having fun and looking at the crowd".  And I think she was right.

Another quote from an older gentleman sitting near me was, "I like how they keeping cracking wise between songs".  And again, he was right.  From the time they got on stage until the time they got off stage, they had funny little dialogues between songs, totally relaxed and unforced fun.

They do play out on occasion, and hopefully those occasions will increase.  One thing is certain, if you ever need the perfect Beatles cover band - Mister Mustard is the call you should make.