We all miss concerts so every week I’m going to post a Youtube bootleg to try and fill that void in our lives. This week it’s Childish Gambino from Lollapalooza 2014 in Chicago.
The title of Renaissance Man comes from the extraordinary artists and intellectuals of fifteenth century Europe who advanced science and created some of the greatest art the world has ever seen. These creative omnivores applied their intelligence to a wide range of skillsets from anatomy and the properties of light to sculpting and painting. The often overlooked factor that defined Renaissance Men is that they saw how all these previously disparate subjects effected one another – anatomy and light informed sculpting and painting – they were all one subject: life.
The greatest artistic Renaissance Man of our modern age is Donald Glover. Most people see him as a comedian who became an actor, then started rapping and just so happened to be good at all these things. While it is true that he was blessed with the intelligence to excel at all of these mediums, that is not what makes him a Renaissance Man. Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino, is a Renaissance Man because all of his artistic endeavors are informed by a overarching comprehension of life in modern society.
His writing and performing, in both music and acting, are reflecting social interaction in the age of the internet and social media. Take for example Atlanta and This is America, two works in completely different mediums that both reflect African American culture both as a part of and struggle against American culture at large. All of Glover’s work should be appreciated as different chapters in a greater book he is still working on.
This book, as it were, began with a satirical take on how the internet and social media affected society. Glover’s breakout acting role on Community, his first standup comedy special, and first two records Camp and Because the Internet all dug into that philosophical topic. He spoke from a nerdy, pop-culture obsessed and internet savvy perspective that was simultaneously cocky and insecure. It was a manifestation of American youth culture in the 2010s. On top of all that he also has impeccable style.
Of all the accolades Glover has accumulated over the past decade, he still remains under-appreciated as a live performer. This set from Lollapalooza 2014 is the best example I could find of his musical persona Childish Gambino. Professionally shot and recorded by Redbull TV, the set is a best-of his first two records from the Internet saga of his career. Enjoy!