It’s amazing how a blissfully giddy day can be subdued by the accidental appearance of “Alone Again (Naturally)” on your iPod Shuffle. The flipside, of course, is that no matter how bad you are feeling, all it takes is the opening sax bleat of The Benny Hill Show theme, and you’re right as rain in no time. Good soul music inhabits an interesting middle ground. Though the musical themes are occasionally downers, there’s always something restorative about the actual performances. The catharsis of hearing your own worries articulated by someone with powerful pipes cannot be underestimated. For those a little down in the mouth, the Memphis in Costa Mesa presents Souled Out, a weekly club night featuring the best in soul, funk and dub to get you to throw away those hankies and whip out your sweat rag. After all, can anything really be that bad when you’ve got Curtis Mayfield in your corner?
Thursdays, 10 p.m., 2007
