Mobley has been a ubiquitous name in the Baton Rouge music scene in recent years, despite not being local. The Austin-based band will try to keep up its reputation by visiting The Spanish Moon on Friday.
Frontman and songwriter Anthony Watkins II began making music with a violin from an early age.
He, like many other musicians, continued the pursuit to win the affections of the ladies.
“If I’m being 100 percent honest here, there was a guy at my high school who played guitar and was always surrounded by girls, and that’s why I started making music,” Watkins said with mild chagrin. “I stuck with it, the girls gave me a reason to do it, but soon I became addicted to the feeling of creating and writing songs.”
The creation continued and he eventually formed Mobley. He said the band has grown in a multitude of ways since its inception in 2004.
He described the band’s humble genesis during his college days at the University of North Carolina as acoustic and simpler music, involving mainly a guitar and a hand drum.
Watkins said the band has gone through lineup changes to get to where it is now, and he is the only original member left. He said the band, as it is today, started to piece together in 2010 and began to tour more persistently.
As for the music, “it’s evolved with tastes and desires to explore different things.”
The evolution has brought on the use of bass, keyboards and a full drum kit. With these additions, Mobley makes what’s been described as “danceable indie rock.”
However, Watkins struggles to put his music’s genre into words for someone who’s never heard the band.
“I’d tell them to go to www.mobleytheband.com,” He laughed. “In my head, it sounds pretty eclectic and all over the map, but it’s mainly a mix of melody, rhythm and traditional pop.”
Watkins said he and his crew enjoy frequenting the Red Stick because the city has embraced Mobley over the years.
Mobley debuted in Baton Rouge by playing a house show, and from there Watkins and his bandmates would play small, often fairly empty bars. Since then, Mobley has picked up momentum and has garnered a fan base after rocking The Spanish Moon in the past.
“It’s nice not to play empty rooms anymore,” Watkins confessed.
He said he is eager to play the upcoming show because the last time Mobley visited The Spanish Moon, the group never made it to the stage.
He explained the venue lost power due to an 18-wheeler crashing nearby and splitting a telephone pole.
Mobley will be making up for lost time Friday night at The Spanish Moon with Vacationer and Body Language. The show begins at 9 p.m.
Who: Mobley, Vacationer and Body Language
Where: The Spanish Moon
When: Friday, March 8 at 9 p.m.
How much: $10
