I've been waiting to see MSPaint since their debut album came out in 2023. Last night, I finally got the chance when their headlining tour rolled through Minneapolis. And I wound up bailing early. Are my rockin' days behind me? GASP! Read on for more. 

Here are a couple of albums that are working for me this week, one from earlier this year and one released today. Read on for more!

When I decided to start writing a blog, I immediately decided that I'd write about the two hobbies that consume the most of my time, music and fitness. Unfortunately for me, I've forced myself to, you know, write about fitness. 

This is essentially my level-setting post, wherein I lay out the current state of my fitness journey, which I think I can fairly call "aspirational." I have been working out regularly (five days a week on average) since developing the habit during the height of COVID-19. I tried a few self-guided programs and a couple workout journals before discovering Athlean-X. I went on to run through many A-X programs and have recommend their routines to many friends. I still have my "All-Axcess Pass" to their library of workouts, although I am not currently running any of their programs. 

While I have absolutely gained strength and built muscle since starting this journey, I didn't really get serious about changing my diet until recently. It remains a challenge, but I'm doing better than ever by using the MacroFactor app, which is hands-down the best macro/food tracking app I've ever used. MacroFactor is partially owned by science-based Canadian bodybuilder Jeff Nippard, whose programming I'm currently using for my workouts. I am on week 3 of The Ultimate Bodybuilding Transformation Program (Intermediate/Advanced). While I'm not expecting that I'll ever look anything like Mr. Nippard, I'm enjoying these workouts and looking forward to seeing what results I can achieve.

Note: None of the links I posted are affiliate links. I won't make a cent if you click through and decide you're interested in these products. They're simply options I recommend as a healthy-ish 47-year-old man with a blog that no one reads. 

A few years ago, I was driving down Washington Avenue in Minneapolis on a rainy morning when Black Sabbath's Iron Man came on the radio. Suddenly, I wasn't a 40-something-year-old man watching rain hit my windshield. I was a 14-year-old at Boy Scout camp, inside a hot green canvas tent with Andy Newman's black Walkman in my hand. I was hitting the play button and hearing the hiss of the cassette tape, followed by that strange, wavering voice:

I am Iron Man!

I've been going to see live music regular for the last few decades, and while concerts have always been a huge part of my life, I've always felt unequipped to write about them. Not being a musician myself, I never felt like I had the knowledge or vocabulary to intelligently write about music. But, with age comes not wisdom, but the ability to say "to hell with it, I'll do it anyway."

Last night, a buddy and I attended a show that was originally billed as Miracle Blood, Baumgardner, Strange Frequency, and Small Animal Hospital. The actual bill turned out to be Baumgardner, Miracle Blood, Watches, and Small Animal Hospital. One band fully replaced, and one swap in lineup order. All bands from Minneapolis save for Miracle Blood, who hail from Boston. 

Mic check.

So, the concept here is that I'll write about two things I'm into these days: music (specifically metal) and fitness (specifically weightlifting). So, two different connotations of "heavy." Very clever, I know. Will I stick with it? Maybe! Will anyone read it? Probably not! Will anyone start sending me free records and a cable machine? Definitely not!

All photos on this 'lil site are by me unless otherwise indicated.