Corey Balsamo

Singer-songwriter from New York. Just trying to figure it all out.

putthison:
“ This guy is Ed Roberts. He was my dad’s best friend until he passed away in 1995, when I was 14. Ed got polio as a child, and it rendered him a quadriplegic. When he gave me wheelchair rides, he was steering with a joystick and one...

putthison:

This guy is Ed Roberts.  He was my dad’s best friend until he passed away in 1995, when I was 14.  Ed got polio as a child, and it rendered him a quadriplegic.  When he gave me wheelchair rides, he was steering with a joystick and one finger.  He had to use a respirator at all times, and when he was at home, he was in an iron lung.

Ed was a bad-ass.  He didn’t take any shit from anyone.  He led the Independent Living movement, starting as a student at Berkeley in the mid-60s, then later as part of the first Jerry Brown administration in California.  Disabled people had always been hidden away in the dark corners of society - Ed helped prove that it didn’t take much from the rest of us to given them the chance to lead full, independent lives.  Just “reasonable accommodations.”  In the 60s, Ed flew across the country, from Berkeley to DC, without his respirator, endangering his life so he could testify before congress about the rights of the disabled.

My dad was working with Ed when the California laws that Ed helped write became the template for the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Ed believed that people with physical disabilities deserved to live the same vibrant, independent lives that those of use who are lucky enough to be more able-bodied do.  He was a fighter, and he and his fellow activists won the fight.

By the time he died in 1995, Ed could rely on curb cuts that allowed him to cross the street in his chair.  He knew that if someone built a restaurant, they’d do reasonable things like have ramps in addition to stairs, so he could go out to eat with my dad, or his son Lee (called Little Lee, to distinguish him from my dad Lee), or his mom Zona, or whoever he wanted to go out to eat with.  Every day, in a thousand different ways, the ADA gives people like Ed the opportunity that all of the rest of us take for granted.

There are some people who would prefer to think of the world in the abstract terms of a precocious eighth grader, and would prefer not to think about collective responsibility or about the advantages they’ve been handed.  I learned from Ed that that BS doesn’t fly.  I also learned that sometimes being a gentleman means putting up your dukes - even if those dukes are rhetorical.  In Ed’s case, of course, they almost always were… though he wasn’t afraid to run over someone’s foot in his chair if he had to.

Anyway, I promise: no more politics.  But hopefully this is a reminder: sometimes being a gentleman means doing what you can to enable others to live their lives fully.

(Source: putthison, via yourmandevine)

It is possible.

Anything is possible. That’s the lesson I continue to learn over and over lately.

It is possible to find your goals, at a young age or even much later in life. It is possible to make others see the illuminating glow of that “little light that shines inside of you”. It is possible to fall in love. It is possible to lose that love. And it is possible fall back in love, over and over again. It is possible to turn an adversary to a friend. A friend to a best friend. A best friend to a mate. It is possible to mistake calculating undertones for genuine kindness. It is possible to lose respect for someone you once admired. And it is possible to lose someone altogether.

But with every departing wound, every fleeting “has been” relationship, every “bump in the road” that turns into a 10-car pile up. Every tear, hurt feeling and bad day - you take a little something from it. A callous on your heart. Knowledge for your conscience that you will apply at a later time. And the strength to get back up and carry on like you were meant to.

Be brave, little solider. Let that little light shine.

<3 CB

You can’t love too much one part of it.

“So sing for the friend who left you before he ever had a clue. Sing for the girl or boy that’s standing right now next to you. ‘Cuz I have a feeling it all evens out. At the very end of your life you’re gonna sit down at the table, you’re gonna shuffle out the good and the bad. And it’s all gonna make perfect sense to you when you figure out the accounting books come up completely even. And then you’re gonna ask, "So, what was it all for?” and they’re gonna say “Well, you did it, didn’t you?” So, sing along with me if you will. It’s not an option. And don’t stop no matter what happens.“

   – John Clayton Mayer

Just so you know.

It’s a crying shame and you’ve changed so, so fast.
And every ounce of sympathy won’t make this last.
Just so you know, what you’re doing, it’s insulting.
And demeaning. To everything we’ve put into this.
All this time, all the love, all your tears. I was there.
This past year. It’s a shame you forgot so, so easily.
                                                       Just so you know.

If I could be your superman, I’d fly you to the stars and back again.‘Cause everytime you touch my hand, you’d feel my powers running through your veins. But I can only write this song and tell you that I’m not that strong.'Cause I’m no superman; I hope you like me as I am.

Don’t Be Angry.

“Who’s gonna rescue me from myself if you leave?
Oh, please believe me when I tell you I’m sorry.
You’re everything I need all at once to be at peace,
With the slow dying watching what I love disappearing.
Oh, please believe me when I tell you I’m sorry.”

If you asked me what I would consider my goals in life are, what my life revolves around, what do I strive to make for and of myself, typically, you’d get some flush answer about music and how art makes my world turn - which is true, please don’t misconstrue this. But the truth is that for the last year or so, my life has revolved around one person. 

If there is one thing that this Tumblr account allows me to do it is to is let me be completely honest. No bull. Things I can’t can’t write on Facebook or a Twitter post, things I won’t divulge to you from up on stage. Things I may not be able to convey as best as I’d like to be able to when we’re having our heart-to-heart, driving around in my ‘95 Buick LeSabre, drinking Arnold Palmer’s, listening to a Rocky Votolato record. 

I’ve learned a great deal about myself in this past year. I’ve made new companions, climbed new heights. I took risks that I was unsure of the outcome. And I felt love’s grace for the second time.

I gave all of myself to this one person. We did so much together. And when we were not together, everything I did was done with her in mind. So what do you do when you’ve given everything to someone who can’t be there anymore?

That’s the question I’m toying with today.

  It’s gonna take some time. 

- C

Incredible stuff.

jhnmyr:

thedailywhat:

This Is Hilarious, You Should Watch It of the Day: Zach Anner, a young Austinite with cerebral palsy (the sexiest of the palsies), pitches a travel show “designed to inspire people who never thought they could travel” for Oprah’s Your Own Show competition.

[mefi.]

This is legitimately funny and entertaining. Maybe we can get the internet rally machine going, because I would love to see a show by this kid. Outlandish without obnoxious. I think he should at least get a segment on Oprah.

Cool little impromptu interview I did with Stef from Beyond the Barricades at this year’s Bamboozle Festival. Check it out!

beyondthebarricades:

I Interviewed Corey Balsamo at Bamboozle on May 1st, 2010. You may have heard of him as an opener for Ryan Cabrera. I first met Corey at the NYC date of the ‘Class of 2010’ tour! After the interview we headed over to the stages to watch Angels & Airwaves. Really sweet guy, Support him!

Pretty solid point.
yourmandevine:
“ brooklynmutt:
“ america is not at war
”
Wow. A pretty fine point, there.
” View high resolution

Pretty solid point.

yourmandevine:

brooklynmutt:

america is not at war

Wow. A pretty fine point, there.

My friends always warned about living cliches but my friends aren’t there when I meet you these days. I count people and street signs from the back of your car and then skip back excited to wherever they are. I take risks in the storm while they talk by the bar. I won’t go back outside until my memory starts erasing itself into something less brutal; some beautiful bullshit I pretend to belong to. For as long as the truth tucks itself into bed, and the beat of my heart, and the heat of my breath keep my hopeful and distant and proud of myself - I keep ringing your bell every night around twelve.

Kevin Devine, excerpt from “Keep Ringing Your Bell”

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/cotton-crush/id61078231?i=61078148&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

If you can wait ‘til I get home.

So it’s been a while. I’m sorry. I’ve been neglecting the Tumblr world in general but I promise from here on out I’m going to keep up on the blog updates. So let’s catch up. Where to begin?

About a week and a half ago I had the honor and pleasure of playing at the historic Webster Hall in New York City. It was such a great experience. The venue was packed and nearly sold out. It was ton’s of fun and I know I’m going to keep the memory of that night with me forever.

I’ve been playing more shows since I left my life as a full time college student just under three months ago. I can see the progress my life as a musician has taken since I took that first big step of dropping out but I will never regret that I chose this path. I know this is going to be a long journey for me. I’m excited and scared altogether to see what is in store for me as a songwriter.

One cool experience I will always take with me is what happened to me last Friday night. Mikey Ballou and I traveled 300 miles to the great state of Connecticut to perform at this lovely girl Shayna’s surprise 17th birthday party. Her friends had asked me months in advance to play this party and I just couldn’t say no. Upon arriving at her friend Julia’s house on Friday afternoon (the location where the party would be held later that night), I was informed by the rest of Shayna’s friends of their plan to wrap me, given my consent, and given to the birthday girl. Their plan was to have me hidden in a large, decorative gift bag (with a hole cut in it so I could breath, obviously) and a large bow. Shayna would then enter the party, find her surprise party (SUPRISE!) and another local CT band, White Rose, would be stationed in the living room ready to perform. After WR’s first song, I was instructed to cough and make some kind of commotion from inside the bag. Shayna would then unwrap me and SURPRISE! (Surprise #2) Long story short, the surprises and party went off as a success. Mikey and I performed an intimate acoustic set some of my songs in the host’s living room, spectated by 15 of Shayna’s closest friends. We had pizza and cake and soda pop. It was all around a fun, successful night! Definitely a lot of “firsts” for me as a musician.

It’s been almost a year since the release of my EP “September” but I’m already working on several new songs for a record I plan to put out by June/July. I’m really excited. The sound I’m working with is different but a better, more mature sound. I feel that the songs I’m writing now reflect my growth as a songwriter in the past year.

Tomorrow, it’s off to CT again, this time with the full band, for a show in Burlington. I’m having the time of my life!

Be loving and take care of eachother.

-CB

Definitely go see TP on their first headlining tour. Well worth it.
danyoungblog:
“ fueledbyramen:
“ from Dan Young of This Providence:
What’s up? You can’t answer that, but I figured it would be a really, really, sweet way to start a blog. That’s...

Definitely go see TP on their first headlining tour. Well worth it.

danyoungblog:

fueledbyramen:

from Dan Young of This Providence:

What’s up? You can’t answer that, but I figured it would be a really, really, sweet way to start a blog. That’s sarcasm, but it works. I’m required to write one blog a week, which is a good thing; keeps me social…in an internet-social kind of way. So here’s this week’s update.

Essentially it’s this: We’re still at home, getting ready to go out on our FIRST headlining tour, The ‘Bout Damn Time Tour…

It’s funny, I was reading on AbsolutePunk.net about the tour and someone said they thought that was a silly name for a tour. Well yeah it is, but who gives a shit, it’s true! We’ve been touring for 5 years and not once done a legitimate headlining tour. I hope we do good, I don’t really know how to headline a tour! I hope you all come to the shows, we’re going to make this tour something special. For example: If you didn’t already hear, we’re playing our album Who Are You Now? in it’s entirety as well as letting you vote to choose the old songs we play.

Anyway, I’ve just been hanging out at home. I think the person I spend most of my time with is…well, I take that back, it’s not actually not a person, it’s either my acoustic or Charlie. Charlie is our dog who I like to consider a kind of a mute, cuddly, person. Sometimes I wish he could talk. I wonder what he would say!

I’ve been extremely anti-social, a hermit of sorts. All I do is write music, play music, watch music documentaries, flood my twitter followers (follow me! @thedanyoung) with pointless nonsense (or maybe don’t) and drink coffee. Oh, and listen to music!

Favourite album to jam right now is a toss up between The Black Keys - Blakroc (what? I’m actually listening to hip hop?!) or Cat Stevens - Teaser and the Firecat. Make sure to check out BOTH of these fantastic, ground-breaking albums.

ALWAYS keep it real,
-Dan

We’re doing all these things to squeeze things together so we can save time. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t have anymore time. I have less time. But let’s just say we could save up a whole chunk of time and set it aside. You know what we’d do with it? Nothing. Nothing at all. Isn’t that the point? To be able to do nothing at all? But we’re not guaranteed that “later on” chunk of time. All we have is here and now. And that’s why procrastination feels so right.
— Ellen DeGeneres
Nothing big to say. Just thought I’d show y'all a picture of my pussy. He likes coffee. View high resolution

Nothing big to say. Just thought I’d show y'all a picture of my pussy. He likes coffee.

Hit me with your light.

I think I have a problem with staying stationary. I love getting in my car at all hours of the night and just driving around to different places. Long Island is very scenic though many people don’t realize just how many little gems exist here that are in arms reach.

Tonight I took a 2 ½ hour drive to Hamden, CT to go see my good friend Ryan Cabrera perform at this homely looking venue called The Space. Really cool venue. Matt Lowell opened. He’s great. And his song is featured on the show “Rescue Me”. In between sets, Matt and I struck up conversation and shared tour stories. We’ve crossed paths with many of the same artists including Ryan, The Kin, and Lucas Carpenter. He even went to Berklee, my dream school where I’ll be starting my online classes in a few weeks. Matt’s a really talented guy with a big heart. You should totally go check him out.

Ryan had a really great set as usual. Teenage girls just love him to death. And he is a very lovable guy. After the show I had my options to sort through whether or not I was going to stick around in CT with the guys (I think they were planning on going to some bar) but all in all, I just decided to trek back to Long Island.

I really love driving and seeing places and things I pass along the road. That’s part of the reason I love touring so much. But now I’m home on my couch and I wanna head back out. Late at night I drive past places I used to spend a lot of time growing up at. I usually head down to this marina on the north shore of Long Island. I park my car, look out on the water and just think. A lot’s been weighing on my mind lately. Serious stuff, not music related either. Been feeling blue. Maybe it’s the weather. I don’t know. I just feel out of place and out of touch. Worrying about choices I’ve made and how they’ve come to bite me in the ass. That’s just currently. That spot is saved for all kinds of moments and I savor it for that. It’s some special “me” time and I think I’m gonna go do that now.

Zippering up my jacket as I type this while you’re all normal and sleeping.

Big love,

CB

Ultralite Powered by Tumblr | Designed by:Doinwork