Posts tagged artists
Digital Gunslingers
I met Nick Armstrong last night on twitter. I was talking to Rachel about her ‘One of us’ piece. Specificaly we were talking about my tag-line:
‘ The artists, entrepreneurs and digital gunslingers of our creative culture.’
I assume, Nick was scraping twitter for digital gunslinger. He uses this term in his presentation. He forwarded me his video (below). The production of the video is crappy but I loved the content. Nick’s talking about making social networking work; he uses a great frontier metaphor. He has a fantastic hat. His brief 6 minute presentation is affirming and positive. We have much in common:
Nick lives just up the road. His business helps charities with social media.
Nick knows a great word when he hears one: Gunslinger.
I use gunslinger for a singular reason. I am a deciple of Charles Mingus. Mingus is the greatest of the great American composers. He was a mad genius prone to fits of rage and violence. Mingus knocked out trombonist Jimmy Knepper’s teeth. Knepper was smacked-out and fucking up a score transcription. Not a good idea. (There’s also Jimmy’s side of the story.)
Charles Mingus was my kinda guy.
I collect his rare joints, I buy his books and I particularly like how he names his tunes:
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“Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”
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“Put Me In That Dungeon”
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“Oh Lord Don’t Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me”
A true poet; the names of his tunes are little inside jokes. The more you learn about Mingus’ life, the better you appreciate these titles. There is of course the tune-title that soars above the rest:
“If Charlie Parker Were a Gunslinger, There’d Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats.”
Let that sink in.
When I was at the height of my Mingus adulation I spent weeks with this phrase in my head. Hell, I quoted it back in ‘03 on my old band’s first record.
When I say gunslinger - it’s real.
I’m sure Nick arrived at the term in a completely different way. Maybe not. If we’re lucky he’ll talk about it in the comments below. What inspired this post is how similarly he and I are using this term. How similar our business models are. How similar we are in age. And were neighbors.
It’s a trip really.
Ignite FC 1: Digital Frontiers - Nick Armstrong
A
shoutout to @missreported too. She fwd me the video I believe.
One of us: Rachel Romero
The artists, entrepreneurs and digital gun-slingers of our creative culture.
I know Rachel Romero pretty well. We’ve never met. We have mutual friends and we bullshit online. We have since Myspace - since ‘06 maybe. She’s witty and hilarious and produces excellent on-line content. Writing, pics, video, interviews and reviews - the whole gambit. Rachel contributes. In short: she brightens my day. I’m a big fan of her work and yet, I have no clue what her voice sounds like. That’s a lie, I think I heard her on a radio show once - can’t be sure. Either way, we’ve never shook hands. What an awesome world it is to have these incredibly low-maintenance but quite fulfilling friendships with strangers. Rachel grew up drinking malt liquor and skirting trouble, she doesn’t eat swine, she is a closet WOW gamer and she was good enough to take time from her schedule and share with us in this Q & A:
I am Rachel Romero; I was born in the middle of a blizzard.
I spend most of my time wondering what to make for breakfast tomorrow.
Career: Project manager for a top 100 web site during the day, a web maven & pseudo-promoter after dark.
Nickname: Miss Rachel. I will cut you if you call me Rach. My co-workers call me Ra-Ro.
Greatest extravagance: Sneakers.
Vice: Tequila.
I like my ability to look at all sides of the equation before making a decision.
I’d love a nomad’s lifestyle.
I’m just so sick of the Greenpeace fuckers on 16th Street Mall.
Dream job:
Something amazing and creative that properly mixes all of my interests. Chef x event planner x marketing professional x hip hop diva? HA.
Fictional hero: Dexter Morgan.
Real life hero: My grandmother, Celia.
Favorite person to follow on Twitter: @radioestes, duh.
Frequently questioned: “What nationality are you?”
Work is bountiful.
The most valuable thing I own is my subconscious.
The Internet really needs an automatic grammar check.
The blogs I subscribe to are a true testament to my interests:
If I could do anything I’d shave my head.
Greatest Anxiety: Being late.
Greatest fear: Failure.
Top vacation destination: LA all day.
Favorite book: Aldous Huxley, Brave New World.
I have a moderate obsession with serial killers.
I would like to see @2509 answer these questions.
I think people are overworked and under-motivated.
I get inspired by random acts of beauty.
Pet: One dog.
Desired skill: X-ray vision.
Avatar for a day: Anthony Bourdain’s wife. #POW
My greatest achievement is pulling myself out of every single hole life has kicked me into.
The future (immediate): Watching my best friend of 11 years get married this summer… and also becoming a god mother!
The future (eventual): A beach, a marg, and someone that I love.
Favorite podcast: I probably need some suggestions.
Best way to relax: A good book and a hot bath.
I found the love of my life in a vinyl record.
My parents are absolutely responsible for the crazy person I am today.
Connect with Rachel Romero here:
Contact | @_missrachel | Video blog: 38thSquare | Editorial: Denver Westword
PopularLemonade.com | @PopularLemonade | PopLemon on Facebook
