Concert Revew :: Mike Doughty @ Music Box Supper Club

Cleveland has welcomed Mike Doughty to the city many times throughout the years. The former Soul Coughing frontman was in town this past weekend with his sideman Andrew "Scrap" Livingston. The two performed at the Music Box Supper Club.

This was only my second time seeing Doughty and my first time at Cleveland's new concert venue, Music Box Supper Club. I was looking forward to the show for many reasons. Music Box Supper club is cozy and much smaller than I imagined it would be. Everything about the venue creates an intimate atmosphere. The lighting is dim, the stage is close to everyone, the tables and chairs are tightly placed together and the mood is set from the moment you enter the room. Unfortunately I did not have a chance to try the food but the plates passing by our table did look good. The room is set up with stools along the outside perimeter and tables in the center. If you only purchase one or two tickets located at a table then chances are you will be sitting with strangers. The tables are positioned nicely so no one has their back to the stage.

Doughty and "Scrap" took the stage promptly at 8:00 and opened the show with "Madeline and Nine". The stage was lined with guitars and Mike switched between acoustic and electric bass throughout the night.

After a few songs I realized that the format of this show was quite unique. It was the Question Jar Show. Throughout the night Doughty answered questions that were written by the audience and then pulled from a jar and read by "Scrap". Examples of questions included "What should we name our daughter", "Are you a fan of alcohol", "Should we keep the stray cat we found", etc. This great night of music came with a side of comedy. It was really interesting and really funny to hear Doughty's answers.

The duo performed "Janine", "Rising Sign", "Circles" and "Unsingable Name" as part of the first set. They took a short break and returned to the stage for the second set of the evening. I wasn't expecting an intermission but it fit the format and venue well.

The second set included " Lazybones", "Change", "Put It Down" and "Super Bon Bon" and of course more questions from the question jar.

I'm looking forward to another show at Music Box Supper Club and I'm always looking forward to the next time that the talented Mike Doughty is in town.