Performing solo at the Southgate House
It was a stormy night and instead of staying in to watch movies, I got a wild hair to run down to the Southgate House and see if there were still tickets available for Bob Mould.
I was pleasantly surprised to find it was a no smoking show, with tables set up in a civilized manner on the main floor. Lightning flashed through the colored glass block windows, setting a nice vibe for the evening.
Local fella (Scott Cunningham ) going by the moniker Wake the Bear opened the evening with an acoustic set. Earnest and charming.
A Rolling Rock after he unplugged, Bob came onstage apologizing for vocal distress caused by Atlanta pollen, then jumped right into Wishing Well from Workbook. Allergies or not, he sounded great, pulling tunes from across his catalogue and making me recollect times I’d long forgotten. A time when Rolling Stone’s college charts were my only connection to the world of music, and I’d zone out in headphones and pour over tiny lyrics in cassette covers.
Midway through the set, he switched to electric guitar and broke into Circles from his latest album.
I made the right choice not staying home.