Soul Coughing Takes Over The House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio

A sold-out crowd of 1,300 Gen Xers and Xennials packed into the House of Blues in Cleveland, a band that was a staple in these parts in the 1990s. No opening band, just 90 minutes of jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop, and memory. A night full of familiar sounds, delivered right on cue.

The four-piece band opened with “Bus to Beelzebub,” no easing into it, as the geeky, beat poet Mike Doughty paced the stage. The groove hit fast and weird, exactly what people came for.

Joining Mike Doughty was Yuval Gabay on drums, locked in and driving jazz rhythms that gave every song its momentum without overpowering the groove. On upright bass was Sebastian Steinberg, who looked like a groove shaman, eyes closed, long beard moving with each slap and pluck. You could feel it in your chest. Rounding out the four-piece was Mark degli Antoni, filling the spaces between those grooves with eclectic samples and nostalgic textures, sounds pulled from forgotten films, after-school specials, and Saturday morning cartoons. For an audience that grew up in that world, it was a perfect match.

Next up came “Casiotone Nation,” full of static, swagger, and that signature bounce. And of course the crowd was happy to sing along: "5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100!"

The first chord of “Blue Eyed Devil” landed, and the crowd was instantly locked in, heads nodding, voices rising, like they'd been waiting all night for that moment.

The pace briefly dipped with "Mr. Bitterness" before the energy surged again. "St. Louise Is Listening" brought back the sing-along, and by "Sugar Free Jazz," the crowd was fully in the groove, moving with the rhythm and locked into every beat.

Near the end of the set, they leaned into their most recognizable tracks, “Rolling” off El Oso, and their biggest commercial hit, “Circles.” The crowd didn’t need an introduction. They were already there.

They closed the main set with “Screenwriter’s Blues,” a song about making love to a model from Ohio whose real name the narrator doesn’t know, a fitting way to end the night in Cleveland. And yes, the crowd shouted the line.

For the encore, they played “Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago” and “Super Bon Bon.”

Overall, it was a satisfying trip down memory lane for everyone. Back to a time of possibility and excitement. We were going to be special, we were going to make the world a better place. Man, sometimes I really miss the ’90s.

Article and Photos by Marc Kirby