The Story of Miguelcy
Miguel, born in Queens, NY, and raised in Broward County, FL (bopwitit, 954), spent most of his time playing in bands and performing at school events. It’s through these experiences that he met Spencer, his best friend and bandmate in Echo Base. That band was formed during their time at FSU (Go Noles/No Goals baby) in Tallahassee.
Klcy, born in Middletown, NY (~2 hours from Queens), and raised in Pinellas County, FL, spent most of their time also playing music, though playing classical music and perfecting their skills in violin and cello while also attending local shows in the Tampa Bay area, specifically in the punk/ska scene. They devoted a lot of their time to their education, which led to Klcy attending FSU in Tallahassee (Go Noles/No Goals baby) and graduating a year early in 2013.
In Tallahassee (Go Noles, etc.), the two met while being involved in the local music scene. Klcy hosted shows in their tiny living room, known as Cuddlepunx Riot House.
Echo Base found a second home in this living room as they became, unofficially, a house band for the home: any time Klcy needed an opener for a show they were booking, Miguel would often be free and available, sometimes playing a solo set when Spencer couldn't be there. Though he would stay late to help clean up the living room when he could, their relationship was cordial at best.
It wasn’t until Echo Base released their first album that Miguel would see Klcy as more than an acquaintance in the music scene, now considering them a friend. During their record release show at Pizza Crew HQ v2 (shout out Snake Silbert), Miguel went around greeting each guest, making sure that everyone was having a good time. Towards the middle of the show, in between bands, Miguel noticed Klcy sitting on the curb by themselves. Not wanting anyone to be alone, he went up to say hello, thanking them for coming out to the show, and sparked up a quick conversation. The first steps.
Later, while vanity-searching his band online, he came across a post on Tumblr made by Klcy, sharing their favorite track. Miguel took notice. He would book a show one night at Cuddlepunx for his friends in Gillian Carter and Henrietta, staying extra late to help clean up and hang out. It was this night when he began to consider Klcy in that way, but was going through far too much emotionally to make any moves (editor’s note: it was a rough summer, y’all. My BAD). They exchanged numbers shortly thereafter and started texting.
There was a night when Miguel had friends over for a Heat game, but spent most of the time texting Klcy, who - to his surprise - responded quickly to his messages. He invited Klcy to a party he was attending at a friend’s house later that night. Despite having work early in the morning, they agreed and hung out with him briefly that night. Sparks were definitely flying by this point and Miguel’s heart has fluttered every day since.
At some point in their talking, a shared admiration for the Philly band Marietta was discovered, and Miguel learned that Klcy had never seen the movie Punch Drunk Love, which was sampled on Marietta’s record Summer Death. It was then that Miguel made his move and invited Klcy over to his house for dinner and a movie. Knowing that Klcy was vegan at the time, he offered to make vegan lasagna — knowing damn well that he’s never made lasagna in his life! What love does to a fool… However, this gave an opportunity to visit Klcy at work, the local co-op New Leaf, where he bought the ingredients necessary for the dish and distracted them from work. His nerves did get the best of him though, leading to Miguel forgetting to boil the pasta and serving the crunchiest lasagna known to man. Klcy still loved the dish.
Then came October 2013. In the lead up to FEST, a popular punk festival in Gainesville, FL, they attended a pre-Fest show at Pizza Crew HQ v2. There was an acoustic opening act who, during his banter, asked the crowd to “turn to the person next to you and say ‘I love you.’” Nervously, Klcy turned their head upwards and said “I love you… ceiling.” Miguel thought the moment was ruined, but it didn’t stop his heart from fluttering, so he persisted with earning their love. That night, while walking Klcy back to their car, Miguel hugged Klcy and they kissed him back. Trying to play it smooth, he said good night, made brief plans for FEST the next day, and walked off all cool. Once he heard the car drive off, he embarrassingly collapsed in front of an artist he admired and screamed into the grass “THEY KISSED ME!!!!”
The first day at FEST 12, they made their relationship Official and walked the Gainesville streets holding hands for the first time. While no specific day has ever been determined for their anniversary, the couple celebrate their love during FEST weekend every year since. The honeymoon period began this day, but the two’s graduation date loomed in the back and it brought much concern to Miguel at that time. Not knowing what he would do after his lease was up, he assumed that the relationship had an expiration date. For now, he put the thoughts aside. The two shared a memorable Thanksgiving weekend when they got to “play house” and feel like they were already living a domesticated life together while taking care of Jermaine's adorable pup Coco (RIP!).
After graduation, Miguel went on his first tour with friends Gillian Carter, in December. However, while out on this tour, when he should’ve been experiencing the new sights and sounds in parts of the country he’s never visited, all Miguel could do was think about Klcy. The two talked every second during that tour to the point that Miguel offered to drive back from the last show in Dothan, AL, overnight, straight to Tallahassee just so he could sleep in Klcy’s bed for the night.
Then came what Miguel was dreading: the end of their leases at their respective houses. They had only been dating for 8 months. Klcy landed their first full-time job out of college and experienced difficulties in finding a spot to live. Not wanting to move back home, Miguel suggested that the two move in together out of convenience, allowing the two to extend their stay in Tallahassee and figure out what they would do in their next chapter of life. Each with their own past experiences, they both knew about the possibility that their relationship could end, but the thrill of jumping into the abyss together was the most appealing part of the two’s journey. This period of living together was some of the best times of their lives as they got to navigate life after college and become their own adults in the town that brought them together. Around 2015, Klcy was accepted into a grad program at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. Not wanting the honeymoon to end, Miguel agreed to move with Klcy up north, which was the easiest decision of his life thus far.
The two years they spent up in Boston were very difficult, but manageable together. As we all know, fuck Boston. But the two fought through the difficulty of school, the high cost of living, the seemingly never-ending darkness and cold, and the racism they would often come across. They survived this experience by befriending amazing people, exploring the historical sites, and attending concerts as often as they could. However, fed up with the expenses and weather that the area brought, the two decided to leave the New England area. During their first visit to Philly for a wrestling event, the two fell in love with the city and agreed to move there next once their lease was up, especially once they noticed the amount of friends from Tallahassee that started to move there ("The Exodus").
Since 2018, the two have been living in the beautiful city of Philadelphia, where more friends from Tallahassee have moved since, making it a true Home. They wish to stay in Philly for the foreseeable future, being quoted as saying, “miss me with the thought of ever moving back to Florida. We will die for our country, Phil of Delphia.” The city had so much history when it comes to the punk and wrestling scenes that it felt like destiny to be living here.
In 2020, Miguel knew it was time to propose, but of course with the state of the world at that time and the loss of his grandmother in April of that year, he put the plans aside while they regrouped. Klcy would also lose their grandma in August of that year. RIP abuelas ♥
By 2023, Miguel, with the help of the wedding’s officiant Mike Jones (who? MIKE JONES), planned the proposal to Klcy at the often musically-referenced location of the Fountain at Logan Square. This was the first location they visited when they became official residents. And because of bands like Algernon Cadwallader and The Wonder Years, Miguel wanted the spot to feel even more special as the location he would ask for Klcy’s hand in marriage. On that perfect, end-of-Summer evening, Miguel coordinated the meet up with friends at the fountain while another 15 more friends hid in silence on the benches nearby. Right at sunset, Miguel asked Klcy to marry him. Aww.
Now here’s the thing: between the years of 2016 and 2023, Miguel would CONSTANTLY fake propose to Klcy in silly and stupid ways. A favorite of his was stopping in the middle of a crosswalk and whispering to Klcy “right here...” and then would start to get down on one knee, only to be dragged out to safety by Klcy. Ever since he was a hopeless-romantic kid, Miguel has always planned to do this leading up to a proposal. “To throw the scent off… or something,” he’s said. Because of this, at the moment when Miguel actually had to get down on one knee to propose, Klcy did not believe him. Then he pulled out the ring, which caught Klcy by surprise. Miguel began to panic as he heard them say, bewilderedly, “No… No! No?” Klcy has been quoted to say, when remembering that moment, “I felt bamboozled! I was flabbergasted! I didn’t understand what was happening, so [saying no] was me processing it. It was my standby mode.”
Once it sank in, Klcy immediately said yes, and was surprised by the rest of our friends who had shown up. To Miguel’s surprise, a video-call was made to Spencer and his spouse, Roxanne, so they could be part of the historic day. They celebrated with toasts of multiple bottles of champagne beside the Fountain as the sun set. They walked over to a vegetarian/vegan Chinese restaurant (shout-out Unit Su Veg - try the veggie peking duck buns!) and then capped it off at a nearby dive bar, where Klcy would hit their first ever bullseye at darts.
After many emotional and financial setbacks, the two delayed their wedding planning until they were fully ready. At 2 am on a random Spring night in 2025, Miguel decided to check for the possibility of booking the iconic First Unitarian Church, which for decades has hosted legendary shows (and, recently, even wrestling shows) in the basement. It's fitting of their DIY ethos that Miguel and Klcy tie the knot at this historic venue. The theme for their wedding is to be as DIY as possible and evoke the same planning and enjoyment they had when they were part of the DIY music scene in Tally.
Klcy and Miguel will have been together for 14 years by the time they wed on April 24, 2027 (#420fourever) and look forward to the rest of their lives together. The two would like to express their deep gratitude and love for everyone who was invited and they hope to see you there. We also wish to acknowledge and send love out to all those close to us who we've lost since our relationship began - you are with us in spirit forever.
Get to the Gig. See you in the pit.
DIY OR DIE! Miguelcy forever!