Finding others who love what you do – as much as you do – and are willing to put in the work, is a feat not often achieved in business.  Magically, in the right place at the right time, Jer Dimes, Susanna, and Susie met, struck up a lifelong friendship, and gave birth to MIRP.

As we navigated the music e-zine world, we asked ourselves:  What do we call this thing we’ve created?  We tossed around quite a few names sitting in some random Starbucks, sipping lattes…and when we failed to come up with one we all liked, we decided to start over.  “What is it that we really want to do”?  “Music, Interviews, Reviews, and Photos.”  Hum… MIRP!  It’s fun to say, and even funnier when a musician says it multiple times, like a beeping sound.  It’s funny and really does clearly relay what we do.

We started out with the intention of covering local bands but soon found ourselves in the midst of national and international bands.  From the tiniest venue to the Moda Center and giant festivals, we’ve covered just about every metal band there is.  Through the years we’ve had the pleasure of doing what we love, honing our skills, and being together.  We’ve experienced our own personal bests, as well as having interviews and reviews picked up by larger sites.  Two of note were the Metallica tribute band from Washington and their gear getting stolen only to have Metallica themselves replace their gear.  We had an exclusive on that story.  We also broke the news of Berton Bell leaving Fear Factory, which was picked up by over 30 national and international print and radio publications.  Our photos have been featured on album covers, band websites, and even in the “most awkward photo calendar for 2023.”  To say we are proud is an understatement.

We experienced it together…together doing what we love.  We were babies when we started.  Through the loss of beloved venues, the world shutting down due to a pandemic, all of us working full-time “other” jobs, and the massive continuous loss of friends to sickness, mental health, and overdoses, we managed to keep our chins up and do what we love.   Today, we are stronger than ever; ready to take on 2023 and beyond!

With our 10-year anniversary approaching, we thought it appropriate to discuss some of our favorite moments.

 

Susie:

  • Over the past 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing over 150 musicians!
  • I loved interviewing Watain.  I was really nervous but did my homework.  Watain still remains one of my all-time favorite interviews.  Serious and funny, the stories told and the banter we engaged in reached worldwide audiences and had the most comments about the way we conducted the interview to glean information not known by fans.   We were lucky enough to get the heads up on the many days old festering pig’s blood ceremony that would ensue and were able to avoid the dousing, however, the smell was so horrific we almost threw up.
  • I also really enjoyed being thrown into an impromptu meet and greet with all of Dark Tranquility.  I am shy, especially when I don’t have a purpose to be there (such as an interview) and I was awestruck and tongue-tied.  I walked through a semi-circle of giant band members and did this awkward curtsey with a quirky “hello,”  “hello,” and then stood back from where I started.  They all looked at me like…”Are you going to talk to us?”  In hindsight it was hilarious.
  • Covering Harefest is always a great experience!  So many great bands and accommodations…and SO many friends!
  • Ivar from Enslaved was an awesome interview.  He is so smart and interesting…I could have talked with him all day.
  • Karl from the Nile is another one of my favorite people to interview.  I had a note from a friend who said she liked fucking to his solo music.  I had let Karl read the questions in advance, and when I didn’t ask the question, he said, “Don’t you have another question?”  He smiled until I said it…word for word.  In subsequent interviews, we spent our time talking about life and love.
  • Revocation remained the most interviewed band thanks to the wonderful friendship with bassist Brett Bamberger.
  • Meeting and hanging out with Charlie of Suffocation gave me one of the most fantastic nights.  He coaxed me up to the side stage and I was able to watch in a rare side view, sans moshers.
  • I recall begging to cover Smashing Pumpkins and one song in, I remembered I do not like them one bit and then begged to leave.

 

Susanna:

  • I loved all of the years we participated in Dimefest and other benefits.  The charity toy drive we did for a local children’s hospital was perhaps my favorite.  We had raised a few thousand dollars and met a man in the toy store who had been helped by the hospital we were donating to when he was a child.  He opened his wallet and gave us another $100.  It restored my faith in humanity.
  • I saw some of my favorite bands multiple times, like KoRn, Lindsey Stirling, 10-Years, and others.  So many great bands passed through our town.
  • The other awesome memory was Headbanger’s Con.  MIRP had a vendor booth, and we had such a blast meeting new people and sharing our love of music with them.  The industry party at Bossanova was so great!

 

Jer:

  • I was very proud of organizing the Holiday CD.  That was a very cool experience…to organize the bands, the album cover, and donate the proceeds to local charities.
  • I also enjoyed being a judge for the Youth Music Project in West Linn, Oregon.  The sound was amazing, and the staff was incredible.  It’s a great educational program for kids!
  • MIRP radio was a blast.  Spending time with local musicians and friends and talking about all things, including music, was so much fun.  I hope we can reinstate that in the coming year.
  • Being asked to be a judge for the Battle for Wacken was a really great experience.  The talent of the bands was really high and the decisions were hard.
  • From the smallest venue to Pain in the Grass in Seattle, shooting concerts up and down the west coast was incredible.

We’d like to thank all of the people who have supported MIRP over the past 10 years.

From our hearts — thank you to all of the bands and artists, PR teams, management, venues, and contributors; we couldn’t do this without you!

Happy New Year!