Eszter Balint

Performance Anxiety

My guest is Eszter Balint and her story is really unusual. It’s so unusual, in fact, that her latest project is a memoir. She was born in Hungary and lived there until she was about 10 years old. But the rise in communism at that time forced artists who were more avant garde, like Eszter’s family, to leave the country. She found herself in New York City with her immediate and extended family, creating the Squat Theater where some of the most amazing artists created their work. Eszter worked with a diverse array of people. Sometimes she was behind the scenes with sun Ra, while other times she was right in the middle of it all, from acting in Jim JArmusch movies to playing violin in a Jean Michel Basquiat production. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that she began writing and performing her own material. And when the acting bug reappeared, she went to LA. But she eventually came back to New York, raised a family and got back to music. Her aforementioned new project is a combination theater production and accompanying album, called I Hate Memory that pairs her with Stew from Stew & The Negro Problem. She’s got shows coming up in NYC, so check out her Instagram page @eszter.balint. Pick up I Hate Memory on Bandcamp or wherever you get music. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Instagram & Twitter. Reach out there or [email protected]. We have merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. We accept cups of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now let’s dive head-first into this chat with Eszter Balint on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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