Welcome to MusicFit Underground
Calgary's independent 'Zine for the underground scene
Hey friends, little storytime for y’all to kick things off on this fine Wednesday…
The harmonica sang with just enough reverb to make the local shoegazers all jelly-fish... I felt my whole body fill up with electricity. The lights came up and that kick drum pounded my chest, awakening my ancestors in the process.
I laid witness to that gritty, “stomp-clap-hey” style the Aussies were notorious for and this room was going bonkers for it.
That moment was all the way back in 2018. I had just celebrated my birthday the week prior, and that intro to “Canopy” was the most anticipated part of my 31st trip around the sun. It slaps.
Canopy is written in Kim’s classic emotional refuge meets nature’s beauty lyrical style. A gritty take on life where it’s clear that instead of seeking an escape, it’s about finding a place — in nature, in love, or inside yourself — where the storm above you becomes manageable. What a bop.
The reason I write this is because that awesome looking photo up there was one of the first times it clicked for me.
That was one of the first Mickey Madness* moments I’ve always been a Rockumentarian — preserving music culture and spotlighting those who bring their A-game, each and every time they hit the stage.
Kim and I have grown close over the years (I pretty much fangirled for 15 years until he noticed me…lol) and he’d be the first to tell you how important life offline and in nature is to handle the stressors of the music industry. You gotta recharge the batteries.
So I put two and two together and came to the quick realization that I am in a place in my life where I feel ready to embrace all of the things that make me uniquely me. Everyone is going to have their opinions. I’m unable to affect that. Let them, I say.
Over the past year this newsletter has been evolving into something bigger than a blog or updates from Miketopia.
Between Sets is now becoming MusicFit Underground, a magazine and community exploring sustainable creative lives. (Rest assured… I’m keeping my column. It’ll be called Between Sets.)
Welcome to the Underground
Here you’ll find:
• artist interviews and show reviews
• conversations with scenesters, hosts, music fans… anyone passionate about helping build a sustainable music ecosystem
• stories of grit, leadership and overcoming adversity from the lens of rock n’ roll
• live performance/conversation hybrid events known as MusicFit Afterhours, our signature series)
• reflections on the creative life
If you care about creativity, culture, and the realities of sustaining artistic work, you’re in the right place. And sure, it’s starting in Calgary, and with your help soon enough who knows… maybe we’ll be worldwide…
More soon.
— Michael
*Mickey Madness is an alter-ego I use when I need to find the “Fight-Club-meets-Conor-McGregor” strength & energy to do hard things. Mickey’s my scene gremlin avatar. lol
P.S. Here’s “Canopy” performed by Kim on Mahogany:
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