Among the most followed comedic music channels on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, “There I Ruined It” claims to “lovingly destroy your favorite songs.” The channel’s unique and often viral remixes have even earned shares from the very “victims” targeted: from Ed Sheeran to Snoop Dogg. Followers include musicians like Justin Timberlake, Weird Al Yankovic, Questlove and Michael Bublé.
Now, the channel’s creator – Dallas native Dustin Ballard – has gone back to his roots: live music.
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“I loved the idea of combining my two passions – live music and offbeat creativity. The challenge laid in finding musicians who could jump from grunge rock and classic country to Disney songs and Russian marches. We’ve put together a stellar band, and the final result goes well beyond a cheap laugh.”
“Dustin is a creative genius,” says John LaRue who hosted the band’s initial launch at Deep Ellum Art Co. “The musicianship was next-level, and I was laughing from start to finish.”
Ballard’s day job as an advertising creative director at TRG prepared him well for his role as a content creator. “I’m used to churning out lots of ideas under a deadline. And keeping a pulse on pop culture is also just part of the job.”
As a classically trained violinist and western swing fiddle player, Ballard also brings an eclectic music background to his arrangements. Look no further than the band’s authentic western swing rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” or their strangely beautiful mashup of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” Other songs, such as their soviet-era take on Miley Cyrus (“Party in the USSR”) come completely out of left field – and that’s just how Ballard likes it.
“I wanted to embrace the chaos. Keep the audience guessing, smiling, and questioning their reality.”
