jeffbalke.com - words.pictures.music

Happy birthday to me! My friend Laura told me today that whenever someone talked about him/herself today, I should say, “I’m sorry, shouldn’t you be talking about me?”
This past year has been full of many of the ups and downs of a normal year. Sadly, the downs were pretty far down beginning and […]

My band, orange is in, is playing the Houston Art Car Parade on May 10. If you’ve never been, it is a very cool event put on by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. It is the oldest and most famous parade of its kind in the world and attracts visitors and wacky automobiles […]

Somehow today, I was asked what I would choose: swim with three naked attractive women in water that may or may not be inhabited by predatory sharks or swim alone in water that is devoid of man eaters. I chose the latter because sharks freak me out.
Then I was challenged to list five potentially […]

We all have them - those little tricks and talents that are unique, but generally worthless. And, no, I’m not talking about sex you perverts. Sheesh, I can’t take you guys anywhere.
Here are five of my secret talents:
Steering Wheel Drumming
They have air guitar contests. What they need is a good steering wheel […]

I know, I know, I’ve been MIA. After scattering my dad’s ashes in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, my heart hasn’t really been in posting witty repartee. I get about one good line a day and that’s it.
I’d post it here, but then I’d have nothing funny left to say today and […]

I was alerted to the fact that my picture is on the front of the Chron.com homepage because it features my music industry blog, Broken Record.

Not sure if it will still be there when you read this, but pretty cool nevertheless.

At the start of a new year, the last thing you really want to do is look back. In my case, I got the chance thanks to YouTube to look nearly 13 years into my past, back to a performance with the band, The Surrealtors in 1995 at a CD release show at Munchies […]

Those of you who read this blog know that I am a musician and I like to write about music industry issues. For some time now, I’ve been conflicted about writing those things here simply because I prefer to keep my personal blog about stuff that I do or funny things that I find […]

Wha a life.
I’m tired today. This past week has been equal parts frustration, irritation, illness and confusion. There are always happy moments mixed in and today I feel like I have greater clarity…and less phlegm. Ewww.
Being sick and trapped in my room all by myself was an uncomfortable experience. I’m realizing […]

I’ve been away busy with work, goofing off and, most recently, cough cough, a cold. Back soon I swear.