A Shure SM58 microphone once used by punk legend Lux Interior of The Cramps has been returned to its owner, Eric Scealf of the Chattanooga rock band The Unsatisfied, but Scealf has no idea who returned it.
The microphone vanished in February after the band played a show in Atlanta. After an exhaustive search, Scealf decided to offer a $500 reward for its return and the story was picked up by several websites. Until last week, he presumed the coveted microphone was lost forever.
But on St. Patrick’s Day, his plea was answered when the microphone arrived by first-class mail in an anonymous package.
“There’s a Dallas postmark, but the return address is bogus. We had it checked out,” Scealf said. “There was no note or anything, just my mic wrapped in some paper and one of those Guy Fawkes masks. That’s it, nothing else.”
Scealf said he rarely uses the microphone (the procurement of which is a story in itself), but carries it with him for good luck.
“I used it for a few shows after I got it, just because it had Lux’s mojo on it,” Scealf said. “After Lux died a few years ago I started taking it with me on the road and pretty much everywhere we went. It stayed in my make-up case, it just felt good having it with me, kind of my good luck charm.”
Scealf is very curious about who returned the mic and said the reward is still available.
“I’ll gladly pay the $500 reward if somebody comes forward with proof that they sent it. If not, I’m just glad I got Lux’s microphone back. I feel like King Arthur having Excalibur returned!”