The Balboas, a punk-surf rock band, started their roots in Akron and the love for the area has still influenced them to this day. Back in the late 90’s, Rich Griffith, Rick Frei, and Mark Healy found themselves studying Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the University of Akron. All music lovers, these three men formed a group known today as the Balboas.  

Later on, Caitie O’Shea, Akron local and now manager of the Akron Civic Theatre joined, as well as Dusty Watson on the drums, and Jimmy Dale, son of Dick Dale.  

“Dusty is one of the most respected drummers in the music industry,” Rich Griffith, lead guitarist of the Balboas, said. Watson has performed with Dick Dale, Agent Orange, and the Sonics. “Dusty is a monster who has drummed with the best acts in the business, we are so lucky to have him on board for the last 20 years.”  

Griffith describes that it was Jimmy Dale’s shaggy hair hanging out of his father’s RV that caught their attention. They then released their first song in honor of him titled, “Son of Dale.” With Jimmy joining the Balboas, it brings their visions and band into a full circle.  

“The Balboas are a perfect mix of Dick Dale style surf and punk rock,” Griffith said. “But the members of the band brought their own influences in, so in addition to surf, there are elements of The Cramps, The Ramones and the Misfits that pop up in our song writing.”  

When asked about the music group’s goals early on, Griffith described his only intention was to “leave a stain on rock and roll.”  

“I remember when we played the CBGB and Caitie put a Balboas sticker in the green room, I thought ‘we did it’”, Griffith said. “Little did I know we were just getting started, and I think we will leave a pretty good size stain that will be tough to get out.” 

CBGB is a legendary New York City punk club and birthplace of the Ramones. 

Griffith described another goal as having more than 12 records released, since Dick Dale successfully released 12 records. By the end of 2025, the Balboas will have released record number 25.  

“So, our goals are sort of met, but we keep having more impactful experiences and working with legends all the time!” Griffith said.  

Although the Balboas find themselves to be successful on their own, they still pay homage to UA and the university’s influence on the band. The University of Akron has influenced the Balboas to stay on task, organized, and work hard. 

“We finish whatever project we tackle, and we do it on time with no drama,” Griffith said. “That has allowed us to work with the absolute best professionals in the punk rock world, and we are a breath of fresh air to them because bands are typically flaky and volatile.”  

The Balboas have worked with Balboa’s producer and punk icon Paul Roessler, Kitten Kuroi (background singer for Billy Idol), and a list of punk giants like East Bay Ray (Dead Kennedys), Dez Cadena (Blag Flag, Misfits), Rikk Agnew (Social Distortion, Adolescents), Joe Queer (The Queers), Mike Watt (The Minutemen) and more.  

The Balboa’s focus and work ethic have also influenced their catalog, now with more than 20 records. They have also toured the United States and Europe several times.  

Since the Balboas have been together for over 30 years, having a most memorable moment comes all the time for Griffith. One of his favorite moments was opening for Dick Dale at the Odeon in Cleveland. It was also the opening day for the Cleveland Guardians, so downtown was packed with people ready to watch baseball and listen to good music.  

Griffith also describes the time of his car breaking down in Elkhart, Indiana and thought to himself how cool it would be if Dick Dale passed him. 

“Like a minute later, Dick Dale pulls into the rest stop with his 3-year-old, Jimmy,” Griffith said. “We were then invited in to meet Dick, got his autograph, and most importantly, got on his guest list for life.”  

Griffith describes this memory of the birthplace of the Balboas due to the influence Dale had on him that day in Indiana.  

Present day, the Balboas are still creating songs and traveling the world. Even though they are not all in the same state anymore, they still consider Akron as their stomping grounds and write in the city very often.  

If you are from Akron, and know of the Akron area, there is a great chance you know about the Goodyear Blimp. The love for the Goodyear Blimp is something the members of the Balboas share.  

Griffith describes that he has been obsessed with the blimp since he was young living in Youngstown, Ohio. Although it brought him much joy in his town, he saw others around him did not feel the same way.  

Through his love for the Goodyear blimp, Griffith has made connections with the Goodyear family and has taken rides over 13 times. Over their 25-year recording and touring career, the Balboas have crossed paths with the blimp frequently.  

“We only operate where the Goodyear blimp lives,” Griffith said. “We started in Akron and still have roots there. Almost every Balboa song was written and recorded in the shadow of the blimp.”  

As they share their love for the Goodyear Blimp, the Balboas have curated the anthem, “We Got the Blimp”, a spin on CD Truth’s hit from the 90’s.  

“We knew CD Truth back in the day and have played with Jeff a bunch of times with his other projects. The dude is a total Akron icon. The original We Got the Blimp was a great tune that fit Akron to a tee,” Griffith said.  “The song was a NE Ohio middle finger to the world, saying we matter too, and embracing the symbol of the city with a punk snarl.”

“I have raised my fist to salute The Blimp many times,” said Griffith. “We walked around for years reciting those lyrics when the Blimp flew by.”  

The Balboas then worked with punk producer Paul Roessler to record a faithful version of the song, but with the signature Balboas sound.  

To keep the record as authentic as possible Roessler incorporated a number of the original samples from the 90’s CD Truth version.  

“Jeff had all his 4-track tapes from back in the day, and had been digitizing them. Plus, he and Caitie recorded a whole bunch of new vocals. I think he handed us more than 10 hours of audio to sample. Jeff is very present in this song,” Griffith said.  

“We Got the Blimp” is described as having all the tongue in cheek deviance, and general disregard for the authority that the Balboas are known for. But, their love for the Goodyear Blimp and Akron shine through. The record is a punk-surf celebration of the city that started it all for the music group.  

The track is to be released on June 2 through Burn N’ Surf Records. The track will also appear in the “Goodyear: 100 Years of the Goodyear Blimp” documentary to be released in 2025.  

To keep tabs on the Balboas and their music, follow the group on instagram @its_the_balboas