Mr. Mister Miyagi take on the Fab Four as Mr. Mister Mustard

ILLUSTRATION by LUKE MCGARRY

For years the members of Mr. Mister Miyagi have entertained audiences at Alex’s Bar hosting live ‘80s karaoke—which often means regular schmoes attempting their best Steve Perry with a backing band that’s far better than they deserve. But after much nagging by Miyagi host/KJ/back-up singer Phil Acosta, the band will open for themselves Saturday as Mr. Mister Mustard, Miyagi’s Beatles-playing cousin.

“I kept bugging Jesse [Wilder, Miyagi’s guitarist] and everyone else to do it, and they wouldn’t,” says Acosta. “One of [Jesse’s] major concerns is that he likes the Beatles so much that he doesn’t want to hate the Beatles—’cause we all sort of hate ‘80s music by now.”

“You’ll go to a restaurant or whatever, and some song’s playing—I’m always concentrating on, ‘Oh! I should be playing that part on that song.’ I don’t just listen to all those ‘80s songs anymore,” adds Wilder. “The Beatles are kind of a sacred band for me, and I hope that that doesn’t happen to all these songs. I’m kind of afraid of it.”

To date, Mustard has learned 50 songs—not that they’ll have time for that many, Wilder notes. “We kind of took the songs from Rock Band that just came out, and the songs from all their number ones, and a list that we made and we made a super-list,” he says. But don’t expect five mop-tops fronted by Philly Shears—well, at least the part about the mop-tops. While Acosta has in fact ordered a full-on Sgt. Pepper’s costume, the rest of the band strays more toward “casual John Lennon” and “Harrison in a nehru.”

Afterward, the band will take a break and return as Miyagi—which might be welcome relief for some in attendance, according to Wilder: “Somebody wrote me and was like ‘Beatles? Really? I was looking to get my ‘80s on!’”

On Saturday, you’ll be able to have both. But can I have “Say, Say, Say”? That’s the question.

MR. MISTER MUSTARD WITH MR. MISTER MIYAGI ALEX’S BAR • 2913 E ANAHEIM ST • LONG BEACH 90804 • 562.434.8292 • SAT • ARRIVE EARLY FOR MUSTARD • $5 • ALEXSBAR.COM

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