I Kinda Interviewed Ballzack

A few months ago my wife sent me a CD called Knucklehead Memoirs, by a New Orleans artist named Ballzack, which I immediately fell in love with. I thought it was awesome that he was wearing my middle school's gym shirt on the cover of the album, and that he even mentioned my middle school principal by name. Practically every song was full of references to distinctly New Orleans phenomena, things that were dear to me, especially in the months after Hurricane Katrina. It really made me homesick, and I regretted that I had not discovered his music before moving to Seattle.

Thanks to the magic of MySpace, I've corresponded a couple times with Ballzack, and for some reason, he actually agreed to let me interview him. I am in no way a music journalist, and my interview questions were dumb. But sometimes I think that maybe life is dumb.
Cafe du Monde or Morning Call?

Cafe du Monde...I don't go to Metairie unless it's really important.

Did you have Mrs. Moody for 7th grade Life Science at Helen Cox? Did she ever throw anything at you? She had a reputation for doing that.

I had miss Moody. She did throw things, and she kept accusing my friend of being bisexual. She refered to him as AC/DC "because that boy go both ways".

How have you found that MySpace has affected your exposure to fans? Do you think that a significant number of people discover you through MySpace relative to more traditional media, like radio?

It really has. I think a lot more people discover me through MySpace, because I dont tour, and my CD's are only available locally.

How would you say that the ability to make music independently has affected you spiritually? How do you think that might be different if you had to answer to a record company? How do you think you would be different if you were born 20 years earlier, when making records at home wasn't really a possibility for regular people?

I just do whatever I want. I couldn't see having to answer to anyone. If I weren't able to record at home, then I would have some sort of other creative outlet...maybe knitting?

At one point in your life, you tried to make it as standup comic. Who are some of your comedic influences? Is that something you would still be interested in pursuing?

I would never go back to that. My influences weren't really standup comics, but more like writers or people around me like my big brother. Standup is a weird thing. It made me analyze humor which is a horrible thing to do.

Did you evacuate the city during Katrina? Without getting too personal, is there anything you can tell me about your experiences during and in the aftermath of Katrina?

I had it pretty good compared to most people. I had a means of transportation, and a place to stay in Lafayette. I just lost my apartment, and my life was on pause just like everyone else. I visited Austin and NY, and I contemplated relocating, but I just couldnt bring myself to do it, and I'm really glad I did not.

What are the origins of the word "fludidew"?

Fludidew comes from when me and my friends used to describe fights that we saw at school, and we would we always use very sing songy sound effects to describe someone falling...ie. "that dude snuck Frank, and Frank just fell down like fludideeeeww."

Would you say you're famouser than local weatherman David Bernard?

Hell yeah, but not Bob Breck or Carl Aridando( did I spell that right?)
Editor's note: I considered asking if he was famouser than Carl Aaoaredondo myself, but I also have no idea how the hell it's spelled.

You know that snowball stand on Magazine that serves their snowballs in those Chinese takeout boxes? Is that the one you were referring to in "Search For The Giant Squid", or was that a purely fictitious snowball stand?

I was referring to Miss Tee Evas, but the whole scenario is fictional.

Do you come across many people who just don't "get" Ballzack? Who think your music takes itself completely seriously and find it to be silliness? How do you respond to something like that?

I know the type, but I don't come across them too often. We usually stay out of each other's way. Those people tend to like Elvis and not the Beatles, they hate cats, and they watch Home Improvement reruns.

Do you consider yourself a local celebrity on any level? How do your parents feel about that?

I guess I am, but it's not on any grand scale, only with people who keep up with things , but not a New Orleans household name. Not like Frank Davis or anything.

Do you have any desire for national fame, or a record contract, or anything like that? Are you satisfied with your current level of success?

I don't really care. I used to for a brief period, but this whole thing started out as me trying to make my friends laugh, and a way for all of us to have some sort of social lives, because right before the first album we were really bored, just hanging out in a friends garage everynight, having recycled conversations, and plotting on ways to meet women. Something had to give. If bigger things come my way, then I'll take advantage, but I won't chase it. I am very satisfied with the way things are now.

Check out Ballzack.com for some free mp3's and links to purchase his CD's. Also check out his MySpace page.
[Back] [Home]

[Buy the Shirt] [Recommendations]