R.I.P., the One and Only Imants Krumins

I'm very, very sad to learn that Imants Krumins, a legend to those of us who had the pleasure of knowing him, has passed away. If you happen across this blog via Googling his name, please feel free to leave a remembrance or a Krumins story in the comments. I haven't seen Imants in ages (at least 20 years) but to this day still laugh out loud when I think of him. Krumins was always laughing, always joking, and always cracking up everybody who was around. He was quite an extraordinary fellow.

From his obituary:

Imants was hugely respected for his knowledge of music and his contribution to the local music community.

So true.

And by music community they mean the alternative, underground, noisy-punk music community, which is remarkable in part because Krumins — when I knew him, at least — was a bank manager and perfectly suited the part: straightest looking character you ever saw. He once arranged a bank loan for another friend of ours so he could travel to New York City to see some band, which I thought was hilarious.

For a while he hosted a midnight radio show at the university station, where he'd spin the most obscure punk records, some of which I'm sure he was the only one other than the band who had a copy, or had ever heard of. He'd play two records that were pretty much indistinguishable noise to me, and then pronounce the one "great" and the other "shit."

That still cracks me up.

Below is a link to a decade-old Imants Krumins appreciation:

IMANTS invented Punk Rock.

I believe it was for the Pig Paper that Krumins authored his celebrated advice-to-the-lovelorn column, Imants on Romance, in which Krumins adopted a sort of Fred Blassie pose (Krumins was a big pro wrestling fan). Following a plaintive, sincere expression from some heartbroken correspondent, Imants on Romance would reply, "Ah, shut your neck."

But he wasn't like that at all in real life. Imants will be sorely missed.

By a lot of people all over the place, that is for certain.

eta: More Imants Krumins encomiums here. See what I'm sayin'?