“They were like, can you play keyboards? And I was like, Of course I can!... I couldn’t."
Josh Balz grew up on the Wyoming Valley’s “West Side.” He split much of his childhood between Plymouth and Edwardsville with a short stint in Wilkes-Barre. He discovered skateboarding early on and by about 12, there wasn’t a ledge, rail or curb he hadn’t shredded. Josh came of age in the early 2000s at Wyoming Valley West High School, in a few skate hangouts and at some local “Alt” music venues.
He was still a teenager when one of the local bands he followed asked him if he’d like to help out – selling merch, fetching gear, changing tires on the van. One day, somewhat randomly, he was asked if he would consider playing keyboards. Josh, with no inclination to have ever touched a keyboard, nor ever a single instance of practice with the instrument, said, “Yes.” The rest was rock-n-roll history.
They came to call themselves Motionless in White. They hustled, of course, through regional touring schedules, playing empty halls and clubs – all that quintessential rock band mythos. And then it all clicked. Before long, they were selling out amphitheaters and Van’s Warped Tours alongside Korn and Breaking Benjamin. For Josh, the ride, the fame, the fans – it all lasted just over a decade. But he eventually reached a point where he simply missed home.
Around 2018, he packed up his keyboard and returned to NEPA. He has since launched four successful local businesses starting with The Strange & Unusual in Kingston and Noir Dark Spirits in Scranton. Josh is also a founding partner in the Parlor Root Beer brand, and he currently owns and operates Downtown Scranton’s iconic Ritz Theater.
We caught up with Josh at The Strange & Unusual, where, beside a preserved mule fetus in a jar, we discussed everything from Angelo’s Pizzeria to touring the country via MapQuest. And somewhere in between, he took a shot at the tough one – Why NEPA?
How long have you lived in NEPA?
My entire life. Born and raised.
What do you love about your town?
I love that there is still a lot of opportunity to be explored. There are just so many opportunities here and in all these towns around NEPA. That’s something, as a business owner, that keeps me motivated. I love that.
What’s your favorite NEPA restaurant?
Angelo’s Pizzeria. That’s not a tricky question at all. If I’m going out to eat, I’m usually going to Angelo’s. And here’s a little secret, I don’t like sweet sauce. I know that’s kind of an unpopular opinion here, but it’s just not my thing. But, yeah, Angelo’s has always been my go-to since like forever. Mini thick with pepperoni – every time.
What’s your favorite thing to do in NEPA?
I’m drawn to water. I just kind of like to go to water. That sounded weird. But like look at all of the lakes and rivers we have here. It’s great. I also like to go fishing – anything to help me shut my brain off, really. I think living in Northeastern Pennsylvania makes it easy to do that. There’s a lot of ways that you can just get away from it all.
What’s next for you?
I kind of want to build a legacy, you know? It’s something that excites me. To think about doubling down on everything and continuing to build it as far as it can go. And then there’s the other side to it – selling everything and starting something new. It’s a decision like making a left or right turn. Going one way or the other way. It’s difficult, because I see new opportunities popping up all the time here and I want to jump on them, but it always ends up being a “Y” in the road.
I’ve been at this since I was a teenager. I haven’t had a week off in over 20 years. So, sometimes I look at the future like either I’m going to double down and pour my energy into creating experiences all throughout NEPA, or I’m going to sit in my house in Mountain Top and stay there.
Where do you see NEPA heading in the future?
I see NEPA really moving forward, and I think a lot of that has to do with the people that are now taking on leadership roles in the communities. So many of these leaders are taking things so far forward, like Mayor Lombardo in Pittston. That man is a machine. He’s been doing all the things that I want to see happening in all these other towns – even our bigger cities. If they could follow his philosophy… He’s making everyone want to go to Pittston.
If we can follow that path, I think NEPA will grow into one of those places where not only do the people not want to leave, but many more will want to travel to. I’m very “pro” what they’re doing in Pittston and I would love to be a part of that. There’s also a lot of people in the area now that are investing considerable time and effort into Northeastern Pennsylvania – John Basalyga, Charlie Jefferson, Mayor Lombardo, me. There are a ton of people here who are seeing the opportunity and really want to continue pushing it forward.
Why NEPA?
Well… from an ego standpoint, it makes me feel special. It also feels good to give back to a place I love and to create something here where, when I was a little kid on my skateboard, there was much less to do. And there really aren’t many places where you can do some of the things I’m doing and be welcomed with open arms by the community. Some people thought I was crazy for opening Strange & Unusual, but they let me. Some told me I was crazy for opening Noir Dark Spirits in Scranton, but they let me do it.
I just think that NEPA has something special, but I don’t know what it is. I don’t ever want to leave. I’ve been fortunate in life in that I’ve been to Europe, Australia and Asia. I’ve seen most of this country from coast to coast and Canada and Mexico. And no matter where I’ve been, I’ve always had that moment where I was like, “Man, I just want to go get a mini from Angelo’s and go sit somewhere up by Harveys Lake.” It’s just amazing here.
