| Tack: What up!
Rachel: Hi rock star! Whassup with you?
Tack: Who loves ya' baby!
Rachel: You do, and I love you too.
Tack: Word. Let's get this on. I've experienced your live act a couple of times and I've read some articles on your performances. You do draw an audience from the poetry scene and from a crowd who may not pay attention to poetry at all. Both genders dig your style also. Could you explain your cross over appeal?
Rachel: I'm glad you started there. It's been an active decision of mine to not stay within the confines of any specific genre. I work hard to accomplish what you've noticed. It's a conscious goal. What I do is definitely performance poetry, but I am not interested in mutual masturbation circles of art, where you just find yourself performing your medium for a bunch of other likeminded artists. i.e. I am interested in doing more than poetry readings for a bunch of other poets. Not that I don't enjoy those experiences, but I don't have any interest in simply receiving affirmation from people who are already into the type of thing I do. My goal is to constantly get my words out of the "coffee shops" and into the clubs. I am much more interested in winning over new people who have never experienced poetry before.
Also, I try to do as much collaborative performance as possible, working with musicians. I do often find it incredibly refreshing to just get back to me alone with the words in a more intimate setting, and I need that simple connection to the audience as well. But my ultimate goal is to be onstage with a bunch of amazing artists creating something much bigger than me. And I am blessed to be surrounded by incredibly talented artists. The co-lab musicians are ridiculous.
I feel lucky to often get to perform in a hip hop setting, even though what I do can't really be classified as traditional hip hop, because of my less structured meter. The most gratifying thing about that is that I am usually performing with these kinda emo hip hop guys, and their audience demographic has lots of women, many of whom have never seen a female onstage at one of these shows. I want them to go home and write, or learn how to dj, or whatever, not just fawn over hip hop boys.
To answer the part of the question about my cross-gender appeal, well, I like to talk about sex, and I am sure that doesn't hurt. But I hope to do it from a place of ownership and empowerment. Why can't women want to fuck? Ya know? But I do it without pandering to people with dicks.
I think also that my words are accessible. Like, I am not that deep. I am pretty upfront for the most part with what I am saying.
I have fun. My main appeal probably comes from the fact that I am a total fucking dork and make no attempt to pretend I am cool. That would take far too much effort.
Additionally, in the poetry world, there’s this huge perceived rift between "performance poets" and "page poets". I think that's lame, and everyone should really try their best to write well. I have been performing since I was 3 years old (starting with ballet), and have always been a person who considers onstage time a sacred space that you should really feel lucky to have. I mean, everybody is paying money to look at you, listen to you. Make it worth their while. I have massive respect and appreciation for anyone who has put in the effort to watch me and I want to give it all I’ve got. Hard work is good.
Tack: You've toured the U.S. club circuit a few times; you've traveled coast-to-coast competing in slam competitions. Got any interesting road stories? Throw me some!
Rachel: Golly. Well, most of my funny road stories have nothing to do with actual performance. They are like, weird highlights from Middle America. Driving into Nebraska from Colorado, I stopped to pee at this tripped out gas station in the middle of no place. I am in the bathroom and there is a condom dispenser. And they actually had "freedom ticklers" with red white and blue stars, that said "support America" on them. I laughed so hard. That was awesome. Freedom fries...and now this?
Hmm...let me see what else. I definitely saw some weird shit in the sky driving through Utah and Nevada at like, 4 a.m. I dunno if it was spaceships or secret government testing of crafts, or me just having sleep deprivation hallucinations, but whoa.
I have barely escaped arrest in various cities. Luckily I have never been charged with anything. But it always makes for entertaining memories.
This is not a kissass comment but the absolute truth. My most fun road experiences have been in Iowa City. I am so excited about our upcoming projects, and my shows there have been a total blast. Something magical there. All my love to YOU, Cousin, Juan, Grandmaster Otis, Jethro, Joe Mirabella, and everyone else. And I seriously can't WAIT for our upcoming collabos, Tack!
SMOOCH!
Tack: Much love over here for you Rachel! Any parting words for the readers?
Rachel: Anyone out there who wants more info should not hesitate to visit me at www.inspirachel.com or contact me directly at mail@inspirachel.com
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