During the winter semester of 2024, Kurt Hauswirth, host of The Shuffle, and Andy Hansz, a music journalism intern, had a busy time at Public Radio 90 at NMU.
They spoke with various musicians from the greater Marquette area to highlight local creativity and talent, including members of The Casper Fight Scene, Jack Laurila of Jasno, Raymond Little, and Jeff Krebs.
The capstone project of the music journalism internship was a local musical venue feature; Kurt and Andy decided on Superior Culture in Marquette. The main topics focused on an overview of the business, venue space, and vision of Superior Culture, the significance of Marquette's cultural scene, insights into the venue's role in promoting musicians and curating events, and musician and public perspectives. With the limited time of a busy semester, Kurt and Andy scheduled, hosted and produced a variety of features with the venue feature in mind as the finish line.
They first arranged an interview with owner Alex Rowland. He sat with Kurt and Andy at the taproom to discuss various aspects of the business, from its humble beginnings in 2016 to its expanded setup. They discussed how music affects business, what kind of music resonates deepest with crowds, and the balance between hosting shows and serving patrons.
Listen to the full conversation with Alex Rowland:
Next, Kurt and Andy arranged to have a chat with Dawson McKenzie, who is in charge of booking music, artists, and events. They talked about how to support local musicians in Marquette, particularly those who are new to the scene.
Listen to the full conversation with Dawson McKenzie:
To gain additional perspective on Superior Culture as a music venue, Kurt and Andy asked some of the musicians throughout the semester some bonus questions: have you performed at Superior Culture or seen a show there?
Kurt and Andy are happy to have focused on one of many fine music venues in the Marquette area. Learn more about Superior Culture at their website, superiorculturemqt.com, or on Facebook or Instagram.
Listen to the entire Superior Culture venue feature here:
