Things we never knew about Mike Doughty
During his 140-minute, sold out "Question Jar" show at Schubas Thursday, singer-songwriter and former Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty played fan favorites like "Grey Ghost," previewed songs from
his upcoming album, "Golden Delicious" and answered questions that concertgoers put into a pitcher. (The jar was left behind in Minnesota the night before.) Here are some things we learned throughout the evening:
--100 minutes or so of Mike Doughty solo (or with cello accompaniment, as provided periodically during the show) is tuneful and sincere. 140 minutes is a little much, even with goofy banter throughout
--Why Doughty doesn't like sports: "It's all one game to me. Called 'Get the Ball.'"
--What he wants for Christmas: "Hot lovin'"
--Opening tune "Busting Up a Starbucks" doesn't sound quite as good without the full instrumentation on Doughty's album, "Haughty Melodic."
--"Your Mistfortune," one of the highlights of "Haughty Melodic," is meaningful no matter how it's played
--He apparently receives a great deal of invitations to play weddings
--He does not currently have a girlfriend
--His worst recurring nightmare: That he forgot to quit Soul Coughing
--That Dave Matthews is the nicest man in the world and that he'd offer gummi bears and the shirt off his back to cheer you up
--Of the new tunes, "I Wrote a Song about Your Car" lingered longest in our memory as a combo of Doughty's traditional witty lyricism and stop-start melody
--He frequently listens to John Denver's greatest hits, and he doesn't feel guilty about it
--Fate has a wicked sense of humor for the man who, when we interviewed him two years ago, didn't want to talk about Soul Coughing at all. The first question in the Question Jar show: "How 'bout an old Soul Coughing song?"