Jeff Ballard Entertainment Interview

Description: Jeff Ballard Entertainment performs at the La Junta Senior Center Friday March 31st at 7 pm. Press Play to Watch The Interview!

Jeff Ballard Entertainment Interview

Transcript:

SECO News:  This is Adrian Hart with your Southeast Colorado News on seconews.org. We are here with Jeff Ballard Entertainment. Jeff, a longtime friend and longtime local entertainer. How we doing, Jeff?

Ballard: Doing really good. Adrian. Glad to be here with you.

SECO News: Yeah, this is nice. We're utilizing our new studios. We're gonna talk a lot about entertainment from this seat right here in downtown La Junta and we've got some exciting entertainment stuff to announce just around the corner. Coming up, Jeff has several performances, actually just right down the street at the La Junta Senior Center, right Jeff?

Ballard: Right.

SECO News: So you're, I don't know, they don't call you the house band over there, but you play pretty often over there, don't you?

Ballard: I do, yeah. Now the schedule is the first Friday of each month is my night. Okay. And then the third Friday, we have another band. Classic country, which is Ron Losey out of Las Animas. Yeah. He covers the third Friday. Okay. And then this month, for instance, where there's five Fridays, then I cover the last one, which would you be coming up March 31st.

SECO News: So this is like your bonus concert in the schedule, if you will.

Ballard: This is the bonus concert. It's pretty cool too, and, yeah. The thing that happened with the senior center recently is attendance really has been low.  And so they had to cut back the dances to only twice a month instead of every Friday.

SECO News: Ah, okay.

Ballard: And that's been a little interesting, but it also has improved the nights you're open. I think it's increased the interest and I think it really has got people's attention. To make 'em realize, hey, we need to support this venue. . Cuz it is good. It's very, it's good for the community and there are a lot of people that take advantage of it.

SECO News: Yeah, so it's a small town, it very much, sometimes it does boil down to use it or lose it. That's true. And yeah. With the current situation with City of Hanta and their funding that, putting. Numbers into the senior center so they can report that they're having that use is gonna help support the funding for it.

Ballard: Very true. Yep. So very true.

SECO News: A good cause and a great time. Right?

Ballard: It's a great atmosphere. It's a good cause. It's a good thing for the community and it's nice for people to know they can go to a place and hear music, live music.  Cuz there's not a lot of places that you can really go hear live music.

SECO News: Right.

Ballard: The thing about the senior dances, and it's a misconception and it's unfortunate, but a lot of people think that it's just for older folks, just for seniors. That's not the case at all.

SECO News: You don't have to be a member. And you don't have to be over 55 to attend that's great entertainment.

Ballard: Family. It's a family type atmosphere.

SECO News: Bring the kids out to dance.

Ballard: That's exactly right. And a lot of folks do.  And it's nice cuz it. Let's someone do something together as a family. , it teaches kids to dance and to interact. And so just keep in mind, it's not for just old folks, not for seniors exclusively. We have a lot of young folks come and bring their kids, and the kids have a ball.

SECO News: So let's put a bow on it Jeff your upcoming performance is Friday, March the 31st, give us the details.

Ballard: Correct. So at the senior center, it starts at seven o'clock. . . And that is the 31st.

SECO News: Okay. What do we got for a cover charge?

Ballard: We have a $10 cover.

SECO News: Okay.

Ballard: They do have drawings, so you can buy raffle tickets and you can win money throughout the evening, which is fun.

SECO News: Cool. And it's door prizes?

Ballard: Cash. Just cash.

SECO News: Just cash. Cash. Everybody likes cash, right?

Ballard: Everybody likes cash. So people enjoy that. They do have snacks, so if you wanna bring a snack, and they break about 30 minutes to have something to eat and to visit and so that's always fun. But yeah it's a lot of fun. It really is. So we encourage people to come on down and bring the family and just have a fun evening of dancing. We do some line dances, which for younger people they really enjoy that. And older folks too. Who doesn't love a good line dance.

SECO News: Exactly. And you're probably gonna learn some new moves.

Ballard: New moves, and like electric slide and all of the common stuff. Okay. And then we throw some other stuff in there as well. But some good country music, a lot of Waltz tunes. We do little rock and roll, so it's just a good variety of music. Something for everyone basically.

SECO News: All right. That's coming up at the line of senior center Friday, March 31st and again, your regular performances the first Friday of each month.

Ballard: Okay. Keep in mind, next month April 7th is good Friday. So there will not be a performance then.

SECO News: You're making up for that with an early weekend, right?

Ballard: And I do have something else. I'll be filling in. I have a two hour set that I'm actually performing in Ordway at San Cherry Coffee.

SECO News: Okay.

Ballard: Which is a cool little coffee shop there. They started bringing in local entertainment so it is neat. Yeah, from six to eight they have some live music on Fridays and so April 7th since I'm not at the senior center, I'll be up at Sand Cherry Coffee in Ordway from six to eight. So keep that in mind. They have a great pastries and great food and they do a good job up there. So keep that in mind as well.

SECO News: I've noticed a trend here. We got food and entertainment.

Ballard: That's a hard combination to beat.

SECO News: That's right. You gotta love those two things together.

SECO News: Thank you so much for coming out today, Jeff. We look forward to talking to you in the future.

Ballard: I'm glad to be here, Adrian, and keep up the good work.

SECO News: All right. Thank you so much for your support for Jeff Ballard Entertainment and the people of Southeast Colorado. I'm Adrian Hart with your Southeast Colorado News.

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