Injured Philly firefighter to open for blink-182, Paramore in Atlantic City on Memorial Day Weekend

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An injured Philadelphia firefighter may still be recovering in a wheelchair, but that won't stop him from rocking out on stage in front of thousands of fans.

This Memorial Day weekend, Randy Ballinger and his band will open for big names in music, like blink-182 and Paramore.

Ballinger says he loves being a firefighter so much, that he hardly considers it the work of a hero.

His other passion is music, and while he recovers, he plans to live out his dream: playing with his band, Jersey Calling, at the Adjacent Music Festival on the beach in Atlantic City.

"Music is my therapy," Ballinger says.

He's been leaning on music for a while now.

Back on February 25, Ballinger fell 25 feet from a two-story row home after putting out a fire on South Paxton Street.

READ | Philadelphia firefighter Randy Ballinger speaks out after falling from burning roof

"I'm making progress, and I've been playing guitar and bass, even in the hospital," Ballinger said. "I was plugging away in there."

Ballinger had a stent put in his heart and suffered fractures to his legs and pelvis.

"There's a lot of heroes out there," he insisted. "I don't think what I did is heroic. I was just doing my job."

While he waits to get back on his feet, Ballinger and Jersey Calling had a dress rehearsal at Brooklyn Bowl in Fishtown.

"It was our biggest show to date," Ballinger says. "This is the largest stage we've ever played on, until Memorial Day weekend."

That holiday weekend, they'll play at the Adjacent Music Festival for two nights, along with some of the biggest names in music.

"The least I can do is spread a little sunshine and make his dreams come true to play in front of his heroes, blink-182 and Paramore," says Geoff Gordon, president of Live Nation Northeast.

"He deserves it," Gordon added.

Ballinger says it's the best therapy the rock doctors could order.

"We're fans," Ballinger says, "but we're also incredibly stoked to have some of their fans getting to see what we do."

On May 27 and 28, Jersey Calling will open for blink-182, Paramore, and Coheed & Cambria.

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