In the final episode of the Fitchburg Your Story series, Daniel Somers explores Persistence of Underground Music in Fitchburg through the city's and Fitchburg State's storied history as a punk rock and underground music way station.
Underground music of all genres has been present throughout the past several decades -- with Fitchburg State hosting storied acts from the indie/punk scene like Fugazi, The Breeders, Melvins, and Quick Sand. Fitchburg State's radio station, WXPL (93.3 FM) has also played a role in hosting underground music acts like Horsejumper of Love, Debt of Love, Prince Daddy and the Hyena, Origami Angel, and Pile.
Daniel explores some contextual history of the underground music in Fitchburg, along with some other connections that go beyond the Burg's borders -- as well as the state of music in Fitchburg presently and the evolution of WXPL on campus.
Daniel is a junior English Studies major with a concentration in Literature and a minor in History.
***
Episodes in this series were produced and edited by the students in Professor Kisha Tracy's Storytelling and the Oral Tradition course (ENGL 2890) in the Spring 2025 semester.
"Saxifrage" is the Fitchburg Your Story theme music. Music by Prof. Robin Dinda, Text by Prof. DeMisty Bellinger-Delfeld. Performed by Fitchburg State University Choirs with Alanna Rantala (piano) and Prof. Jonathan Harvey (conductor).
***
Episode transcript here.
***
Additional mixing and mastering by members of the Perseverantia staff.
Click here to learn more about Perseverantia. Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.