A member of ECE’s exclusive roster since 2018, Mustache The Band has been chasin’ that neon rainbow since 2011. Unlike typical country music tribute acts, Mustache The Band’s repertoire is laser-focused on one specific era of country music – the 90’s. A fixture on the SEC party scene and in demand for festivals, corporate events and weddings, the good-timin’ band has developed a multi-generational fan base as their popularity has skyrocketed.
We sat down with the band to ask a few questions in order to gain a greater understanding of the men behind the ‘stache.
BASIC STATS
Artist Name: Mustache The Band
Hometown: Oxford, MS
Band Instrumentation:
Alan – Vocals, Guitar, Life Jacket
Clint – Vocals, Guitar, Keys
Joe – Vocals, Guitar, Lap Steel
Ray – Bass
David – Drums
Connect with Mustache The Band
Facebook: @mustachetheband
Insta: @mustachetheband
See Mustache The Band LIVE!
Oct. 4 Flippers Tavern *Old Row Tailgate Tour* // Lubbuck, TX
Oct. 11 Octoberfest // Cleveland, MS
Oct. 12 National Shrimp Festival // Gulf Shores, AL
Oct. 25 The House *Old Row Tailgate Tour* // Baton Rouge, LA
Q & A
ECE: How did Mustache The Band get its start?
MTB: In 2011, after a decade-long hiatus from listening to Top 40 country radio, Alan started listening to different 90’s country artist’s stations on Pandora. The playlists brought back a ton of memories, so he called up a group of friends (and former bandmates) with an awesome idea to form The Wold’s Most Powerful 90’s Country Party Band. Maybe not the best, but the most powerful.
Mustache became the house band at The Library in Oxford, MS and began playing multiple nights on all the college football weekends. As a result, their popularity grew. Visitors from all over the Southeast were introduced to the 90’s country party of Mustache The Band.
ECE: What’s the story behind the band’s name?
MTB: Mustache is a tribute to all the legends of 90’s country music. The mustache was as prevalent during that era as two-paneled button downs and cowboy boots. Alan Jackson, Joe Diffie, Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw, Aaron Tippin, Kix Brooks and many others wore the mustache proudly during the decade. Additionally, we came up with the idea to provide the crowd with self-adhesive party mustaches at every show. Mustache The Band’s popularity began to grow (pun intended!) with every photo and social media post the audience made while wearing their mustaches and rocking out to the band.
ECE: Why did you decide to focus on 90’s country?
MTB: There were so many amazing country hits during that time. No country cover bands were focusing on just that specific decade. The 90’s were an important time for country music with the rise of CMT and the beginning of the larger arena concerts. Most important, focusing on 90’s country would set us apart. The crowds, from ages 21-61, all enjoy 90’s country for different reasons. Some of the younger fans think of it as “classic country” and our older crowds relate to the songs from different times in their lives. Nostalgia is a powerful thing!
ECE: What’s the craziest thing to happen at one of your shows?
MTB: We were playing a wedding after party in Little Rock, AR and we got a call about 20 minutes before the wedding party was set to arrive that Rick Springfield was going to be there. He wanted to dedicate “Jesse’s Girl” to the bride who was a close family friend. Obviously we were all familiar with the song, but none of us had ever played any of Rick’s music. We only had about 20 minutes to listen to it and learn it. The band worked aggressively through the parts and played it a couple of times. Then the party buses arrived.
After an hour or so into our set, Rick came on stage. As we were introducing him, he leaned over to a couple of the guys and asked if we could do it in the key of C because it would be easier for him to sing it. This was neither the original key he recorded the song in nor in the key we had just learned to play it! However, we successfully pulled it off and as Rick was leaving the stage he said, “You guys are really good players.” It was an awesome experience!
ECE: What is an average show day like for you?
MTB: Depends on if you are talking about the ones at the Flora-Bama or not? We usually arrive to gigs (in Mustache The Van) a few hours before the show and do the standard unload/setup/soundcheck routine. If there is an opportunity to eat something local, we try to do that. If the venue/party feeds us, we just hang around and entertain ourselves.
ECE: What is your favorite part of performing? What is your least and why?
MTB: When the crowd is ready to ‘get down on the farm,’ we feed off of that. Watching people respond and sing along to 90’s country is a sight to see. The pure passion people bring to the show is amazing.
We don’t really have a least favorite part. However, if we had to pick one it would be the people that just don’t understand that “Sweet Home Alabama” is from the 1970’s and “Family Tradition” is 1980’s, and we do not play “Wagon Wheel” … ever! People sometimes will try to yell out current songs or 2000’s hits, but we don’t play anything current. 90’s country ONLY!
ECE: What is your favorite song to perform?
MTB: There are a ton of songs that the crowd goes wild for, but there only a few that it happens with the very first notes of the song. “Calling Baton Rouge” is probably the biggest one. When we play “Strawberry Wine” and “Dust On The Bottle,” the crowd often sings those songs louder than us.
ECE: What is your goal for every performance?
MTB: Above all, we want the crowd to have one of the most fun nights of their lives. It’s a complete 90’s country experience. If we are playing at a concert venue, when the doors open we start a pre-show playlist of a bunch of 90’s country hits that are not in our set. We bring high energy regardless if it’s a packed venue, a smaller corporate event, a private party, or a wedding. The crowds that join in with us have an absolute blast. It even carries over to the next time they see us play.
ECE: What is the one thing you want your audience to take away from the show?
MTB: Besides a hat and shirt? We want people to say, “That was the most powerful 90’s country party band I have ever witnessed,” and then tell everyone they know. We want people to enjoy themselves and to keep wanting more.
ECE: You guys recently started your tour with the Old Row Tailgate Tour. How excited are you? What are you most looking forward to?
MTB: We are super pumped! Over the years, we have built the popularity of the band around playing concerts before big events like college football games. When Old Row reached out to us, we knew it was a perfect fit. It will be fun to feel the energy across the different towns and campuses. We are not just playing a concert, we are kicking off a huge weekend of fun for these folks. It’s important to us to set the tone for their next couple of days. We will get the crowds hyped up and hopefully their energy will carry over into Saturday’s big game.
ECE: Band poll. Are you a football fan? What team do you root for?
MTB: I’m an avid college football fan and grew up watching SEC football. Seldom do I miss any fall Saturday action. I’m very familiar with the history of the game and all the great players from over the decades. If we are busy traveling and playing on some football Saturdays, I am always checking scores and watching the ticker when a TV is around. I have Ole Miss, Alabama, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M blood in my family, so I am always in tune to the outcomes of all those games as well as top match ups across the country. (Alan)
Yes, the New Orleans Saints. (Ray)
The 1986 Boston Celtics. (Joe)
Go Mercer Bears! (Clint)
Who Dat!? New Orleans Saints. (David)
