Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Dimino.
Joe, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It all began in 1972 in Kansas City, MO. From there, it was a childhood spent in Liberty, Missouri. During those years, I was knee deep in sports and making forts. I was only 4′ 11” in high school, thus running was the thing I picked. I ran cross country and some track my whole high school career. Tried to do baseball, but the highlight of my career was getting a single in 1 game and getting picked off on first base. It wasn’t in the cards. So, I dreamed of becoming a sports broadcaster and having a seat on the set of ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut. I went on to the University of Missouri-KC with that dream and gave it a good run. Had an internship at 61 Country doing Royals pre- and post-game production with retired players and brilliant staff, yet found out that it wasn’t the right world I wanted to exist in. I hung up the proverbial mic and got into IT. Became an IT Director, then had a child and made family a priority. All the while, I was a visual artist having shows around KC. Still do. Then, made my way to Grandview C-4 Schools to be an IT tech. I have been doing that for 21 years, while moonlighting with many other things. I still have shows around KC. Primarily at Buttonwood. I published my first poetry book in 2024. I have a radio show and interview series. That begin in 2011 and I have done 969 shows and thousands of interviews with musicians from KC and around the globe. I am profiled on All About Jazz and my interview series is in the top 1% of podcasts. In addition, I have a podcast called ‘Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino’. Again, in the top 1%.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to finding my braodcast dreams hit some snags along the way. Nothing I have done has been remotely traditional and it’s been the ballad of doing things as an indie producer. From art without representation to podcasting as a solopreneur. It’s been satisfying, but it’s been full of challenges to get to this point in my career.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work tends to be whimsical, impressionism, recycled pieces and the like. I get into bold, thick colors, even though it’s abstract. I make the work affordable and accessible to all. One of the best feats is my travel art project. For the past 20 years, I have been putting my artwork out into the world for folks to either keep or pass along to someone else. In that pursuit, they send pics from various spots around the world from Costa Rica to the top of Pike’s Peak. For some years now, I have been painting old LP’s and those tend to go over quite well.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
In the art world, they can be a part of the travel project easily. In podcasting, they can be interviewed. Essentially, there are a whole host of ways folks can tap into my work and make it a collaborative event. That is the cornerstone of my creativity. It’s a solitary act in some ways, but in many others it’s a worldwide movement of feeling good and connected to the world and the marvels in it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joedimino.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neonjazzkc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554184136169
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-dimino-3a41916/
- Twitter: https://x.com/jdimino
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC21IvPcN6pzwJDEbSNe08ug
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kansas-city-poet
- Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/
