Joplin featured music: Blister Soul

Article by Nathan Hurley

The other night, I was let in on a secret. I was invited to a location (the exact whereabouts I am not currently at liberty to disclose) where I witnessed a private rehearsal of the underground rock band Blister Soul. You could even call it a concert to which only I (Nathan Hurley, senior VP of music and music editorials at the Joplin Toad) was invited, but I don’t want to brag. Now, let us move on to the meat and potatoes of this particular piece.

The four men that make up the tribe of Blister Soul- a Joplin-grown, tried and true, thoroughly rock and roll band- invited me to sit in on their practice session and also subjected themselves to an interview immediately afterwards. I turned the heat way up and focused all the lights on them before beginning an extensive six hour interview. What followed was a flurry of hard-hitting, no-punches-pulled, truth-seeking questions about music, friendship, and their vision for the city of Joplin’s music scene. So, now you’re asking yourself too... who is Blister Soul?

It’s a band made up of four close friends. Greg Ballew writes the lyrics and he sings them, too. Tony Otero plays the drums and is the organizational mind that keeps the group moving and focused (side-note: Tony designed this sweet artwork for their new EP which is available June 18th). Bryan Bridgford holds down the lows and mids on bass. Jason Otero is a phenomenal guitarist who supplies the riffs you’ll come to associate with the Blister Soul sound.

These guys have known each other since high school and were in different bands through the years, but Blister Soul is a new project and it’s really just beginning. They are adults now, but their consistent jam sessions and band practices have kept them together and committed to their music now more than ever. This is a vessel for these men to speak their minds on hot-button issues and address the hypocrisy they’ve seen and experienced in the United States over the last few years. They’ve got some points to make, so they put them into their songs. Like any good band, their songs are one of the ways they deal with what they’re seeing and experiencing in the world around them.

Blister Soul cares about Joplin and the citizens that call Joplin home. They are students of the greats in the rock and blues world and are dedicated to their craft, meeting consistently for extensive writing and practice sessions every week. These are family men. They do not take their art lightly, nor should you. Specifically you should be on the lookout for their upcoming EP titled Signs of the Times. These songs are about social justice, gun control,and ethical and religious hypocrisy. It’s about owning the worst stories in our city and community’s history and moving forward together.

“2nd and Wall”, my favorite track on the EP, is a about the last known lynching in Joplin. Blister Soul’s primary songwriter, Greg Ballew, wrote this in light of the racially charged violence that has taken center stage in the news and in public political discussion.

Joplin residents stand at 2nd & Wall during the spring 2021 Solidarity walk. find more photos from that event by clicking on the image.

“We value life and we want to make sure we aren’t ignoring the parts of it that need to change. We hate that it’s controversial but we just aren’t fans of murder or police brutality. And if we see it, which we have, we want to acknowledge those failings in our society.“ -Blister Soul

Follow Blister Soul here:

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Twitter - Blister Soul (@BlisterSoulBand)