5-30: Mustard Plug at the Agora

Remember the ’90’s ska revival? Michigan’s Mustard Plug does. The band, despite the cash-ins and disintegration of its peers, remains independent after 17 long years. Their sixth album, 2007’s In Black and White, is a little dark, but it’s a testament to the group’s endurance. It’s no secret that most ska bands’ happy-sounding tunes disguise ultra-bleak lyrics. Mustard Plug is no exception. “Think of every person that has walked into the door/Think of every tear that was shed upon the floor/Every baby’s cry answered, every lover’s sigh met,” sings frontman Dave Kirchgessner on “Who Benefits?” Punk kids never grow up. Pinstripes, Shams, Mein Skampf and Sellin’ You Short open at 7 p.m. at the Agora Ballroom (5000 Euclid Ave., 216.881.2221). Tickets: $11. — Nick DeMarino