In 2024, after a 25-year hiatus, Soul Coughing, one of the wildest and weirdest bands of the '90s, reformed for the “We Said it Would Never Happen” tour. Much like Guns N’ Roses’s “Not in This Lifetime” tour that reunited Axl Rose with Slash and Duff McKagan, that label was only mildly tongue-in-cheek, as lead singer Mike Doughty’s vitriolic 2012 memoir, The Book of Drugs, suggested permanent bad blood between him and his bandmates. But I was there in September 2024 to witness the reincarnated Soul Coughing with my own eyes when they performed at the Riviera Theatre.
Because my appreciation for the music of Soul Coughing is far greater than my interest in Doughty’s solo career, I was pleasantly surprised that I found his solo set at Garcia’s on Saturday a much more enjoyable evening. It’s very clear that Doughty feels more at home onstage on his own (along with electric guitarist Andrew “Scrap” Livingston) than with the band that has seemingly resolved its tension—they extended their tour into 2025 and have at least one date set for later this year—but still felt more like colleagues than teammates.
Nothing reflects that comfort more than the banter between Doughty and Livingston. There was no interaction between the band members at the Soul Coughing show, and the only time Doughty spoke to the crowd was to announce the “fake song before the last song” prior to the encore (a bit he repeated during the solo show). But there was off-the-cuff conversation between nearly every song here, a stark contrast to Soul Coughing’s straightforward presentation. Doughty and Livingston riffed on topics ranging from actor Wallace Shawn to Burger King to binge-watching The X-Files so Doughty could earn a $35 royalty check (Soul Coughing’s “Unmarked Helicopters” is on the show’s soundtrack).
Contrary to my expectations, the crowd seemed less enchanted by the Soul Coughing songs than they did with Doughty’s solo material, as evidenced by my solitary cheer when “$300” began. “Thank You, Lord, For Sending Me the F Train” from his 2000 solo debut Skittish earned the biggest audience reaction until a semi-pandering cover of “Train to Chicago” by the band Drink Me. The set was heavy on covers, including tracks by Thin Lizzy and Cheap Trick among others. Doughty warned the crowd that he barely remembered the Cheap Trick song, and after the first verse announced, “I’m gonna do what the lyrics sound like.”
Between the fun banter, Doughty’s strong vocals and playing, and Livingston’s precise, shimmering guitar work, this ultimately topped the Soul Coughing show and I’d be more likely to see Doughty solo again.
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