When they were young…Mike DiMaggio of Stereo Underground
January 23rd, 2010 | 
Author: In the spirit of the talent, passion and determination of young artists, of what you believed you could do in your life BEFORE you grew up, and of the tired parents who tolerate the late night basement jam sessions….In the spirit of MoradaPalooza (TODAY – FOUNDER’S PARK AT NOON!www.keysice.com ) we decided to talk to a handful of local musicians about how they got their start in music.
Stereo Underground
First up? Mike DiMaggio of Stereo Underground.
A horseshoe tournament? Love it!
Q: Were you in a band when you were young? If yes, how old were you?
A: Yes, I was 16.
Q: Who were the other members of the band?
A: My brother Dave and our two friends Jack and Pat.
Q: How did the band get together?
A: We all played instruments so we just started jamming together as friends, then eventually we got gigs.
Q: Where did the band practice?
A: My mom’s basement
Q: Tell us about your first gig? How old were you?
A: I think I was 17. It was an outdoor gig, at a horseshoe tournament. I had never been to a horseshoe tournament and haven’t been to one since. It was strange but a lot of fun.
Q: How has your feeling for performing changed over the years? Less excited, or more, relaxed or do you still get a little nervous or anxious?
A: I used to get very nervous which is not always a bad thing. If you can use that nervous energy in a good way sometimes your performance can benefit from it. Now I don’t really get nervous anymore but I do get anxious a few hours before a show, but once I get there I’m quite relaxed.
Q: What is the secret to keeping a band together? Are you like family or co-workers?
A: Well, I can’t say I really know that secret! I’ve been lucky enough to have my brother in the band, so we’ve always had a partial band even when other band members left for whatever reasons. It’s very difficult to keep a band together, over the years we’ve had lots of different bands.
It’s much like a relationship, each person has to carry some responsibility and be conscious of other people’s feelings. I think the main thing that breaks most bands up is a big ego.
Q: Do you find playing in the Keys is different then playing other places?
A: It’s a little limited in terms of venues or places to play but other than that, not really.
Q: Do you have a favorite song?
A: Not really, I have lots of favorite songs and different parts of songs that I like more than others. I listen to anything and everything to hear what is out there.
Q: Favorite song to play?
A: Honestly, that changes from night to night. Usually it’s a new song for me. I like to add new songs to my sets, it keeps it fresh exciting for me. It also really depends on how well I play a certain song and how it is being received by the audience.
Q: Some people say it is dangerous to turn your passion into your work, would you say this has some draw backs?
A: Well, I did and so far so good. I have the band gigs, acoustic duo gigs with my brother on percussions, and solo acoustic gigs. However, there definitely are drawbacks, and the biggest one is not having having the time to write and record music as often as I would like.
Q: What are your pros and cons about turning your hobby into a professional career?
A: The good thing is making money doing what I love. The bad thing is sometimes treating it as job and losing some of the excitement that made me love it in the first place.
Q: What do you hope the future brings for Stereo Underground?
A: I hope to get another record finished and released soon, that would be our third record. I just hope to sell more and play more of the songs I write.
Q: What advice would you give to young people just starting out in a band?
A: Don’t give up, have fun with it. Check your ego at the door!
Q: How would you say those early years playing helped you in your later years?
A: It gave me the experience and the confidence to do it professionally.
Find more info about Stereo Underground here;
Website: myspace.com/stereounderground
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Stereo-Underground/99783315052?ref=ts
Mike’s Solo gigs:
Every Tuesday – Acoustic Open Mic Night – Coconuts 7:30 -12am
Every Wednesday and Saturday – Acoustic – Snook’s 5 -9
Every Friday – Acoustic – Outback Steakhouse 5:30 – 9:30
Stereo Underground gigs:
Feb 5, 6, 25, 26, 27 Holiday Isle – Tiki Bar 10pm – 2am
March 13 Ocean Reef Club – Burgee Bar 10pm – 2am
Posted in Florida Keys Entertainment
Mike DiMaggio played for me at my fundraiser last year, the Island Toyfest which was held at Sharkey’s in Key Largo to help raise money and toys for Toys for Tots in the FL Keys. He did a great job, was very professional and I got a lot of compliments on his music. Key Largo is lucky to have a musician like him here to entertain us and contribute to our community.
Suzette Truesdell
Agreed. His talent and giving nature is an asset to our community. Thanks for your comments.