Anthony Balderrama - Senior Staff Writer

Anthony is originally from Dallas, TX, and now resides in the Chicago, IL. He received his BA in English from the University of North Texas and his MA in Writing from DePaul University. He’s quick to point out that Shara Warden (aka My Brightest Diamond) went to UNT and St. Vincent is from Dallas, thus Texas can’t be all that bad, thereby legitimizing his use of “howdy” and “y’all.” He also thinks he is invincible because he can survive 115-degree Texas summers and subzero Chicago winters.

When he’s not writing about music, he’s earning a living writing corporate communications where, after several years, he cannot get used to AP style. And when he’s not doing that, he’s probably at a concert. After rent and food, concerts are probably his biggest expenditure. He loves going to live shows…perhaps too much.

Anthony is definitely not a music snob, much to the dismay of many fellow music junkies. You can find him in the nosebleeds of an overpriced big-budget show at United Center or in a sparse crowd at the Empty Bottle or in the middle of Zilker Field at ACL. He eagerly awaits some top 40 releases as much as he anticipates the obscure records he has to order from the UK because they won’t be released in the U.S. for another year (if ever).

Click here to view Anthony’s archive.