Review and photos by Shannon Cheng.
Just a hop, skip, and jump away from the UC Berkeley campus is Cornerstone, where Mustard Service and The Frights performed on the evening of February 25, 2024. It was so close by that I quite literally hopped, skipped, and jumped on over as it was a rare fair day by the Bay. The usual gloom and doom were far away, and luck so happened to be on my side as I was able to do a sporadic and casual interview with the band members from Mustard Service after their soundcheck, just outside the venue.
The Mustard Service is an indie-rock band consisting of “a group of five boys from Miami, Florida just looking for a good time,” as their website biography states. An age-old question floats to the surface: What’s in a name? This peculiar band name has peculiar origins as it was generated by a random band name generator where the members inputted things they liked and the output was Mustard Service. “Johnny Trashcan” was also a runner-up for the title.
If they have a particular affinity for mustard, is it their condiment of choice? Though they enjoy mustard, there was also a consensus among the members that they enjoy any mayonnaise-based sauce, such as the Pink Sauce. I asked if there would be a rebranding in the future to match this love for mayonnaise; they suggested that “Mayo Service” or “Mayo Prevayo” could be a possibility. 
The Mustard Service’s debut album was titled Zest Pop, It also describes their genre as such. As a fruit enthusiast, I had to know the age-old question: what fruit would most accurately describe their music? After some deliberation, a pink and yellow (ombre perhaps?) kiwi would most suit their aura.
Every artist has their muse. When posed this question, lead vocalist and songwriter Marco Rivero instinctively said his muse is his black cat, Smokey. So much so, that one of the songs from their most recent album is a pure song about his adoration for Smokey – which was also one of the songs on their set list later that night!
Their set started a little past 8:30 pm that night. With much anticipation, I stood near the stage as they opened their set with “Pleasantries (With Your Lover),” from their sophomore album C’est la Vie (2020). Rivero’s tenor voice and his guitar welcomed us in the gentle opening of the song, easing us all into the concert. As the music crescendoed, all I could think was that they sounded as good – or even better – than their recordings online. Additionally, there was an unspoken swag that was synchronous with their live performances. Drummer Adam Perez and Keys player Leo Cattani’s energy levels could be seen by the movement of their hair – which was often defying gravity as they dynamically bounced their head to the beat of the song.
The Mustard Service’s music is both so lyrically and melodically beautiful, that it contributed to an active crowd – dancing and clapping along. Rivero has a voice that lingers in your ear, even long after the music is over. The energy they exuded on stage was infectious it was impossible not to! At multiple points during the concert, there were moments where each performer onstage showcased their musicality through the crazy riffs. During the song “Night in Tulum,” the Keyboardist had a solo where his runs added to the aura of the music, transporting me from an intimate venue in Berkeley to underwater snorkeling and seeing a school of fish.
During my conversation with the band, they expressed how they were most excited to perform “The Dominoes,” from their most recent album Variety Pack (2023) which they closed out their set with. They encouraged a mosh pit to end their portion of the concert and the crowd responded! Jumping immediately ensued; the room was filled with an exuberance of youthful and lively spirit.
The Frights, a San Diego-based surf-punk band, performed afterward. As soon as they started performing, the mosh pit grew increasingly spry! Their song “Tungs” intrigued me as it leaned towards more folk than the rest of the metal and bass-heavy music, and that ended up being one of my favorites from them that night.
I ended off my weekend with vibrant music along with technicolor lights that made the whole concert feel like a vivid fever dream. Some artists, you listen to, others you feel; for the Mustard Service, I certainly felt it through their charming tunes! If they are ever in town again (hopefully at the Cornerstone again), I will prance on over again to experience the chillest music from 5 laid-back guys who perform with a beer in their hand!
