2024 seems to be the year of the “unthinkable reunion tour”: Oasis, The Fugees (almost), Soul Coughing…who’s next, The Beatles? As most Soul Coughing fans know, the eclectic NYC alternative cult faves broke up in 2000, or was broken up by their frontman Mike Doughty. He had become unhappy with the direction of their music, while simultaneously battling dangerous drug addictions. After going solo and slowly finding success throughout the 2000’s, Doughty never publicly reconnected with the rest of Soul Coughing for any sort of reunion shows until now.
On June 20th, Soul Coughing officially broke the news online that they would be reuniting on stage for the first time in 25 years. Their U.S. tour landed in Philadelphia on October 3rd, with Franklin Music Hall housing the show. Just about 26 years prior, they had played the same stage under its former name, the Electric Factory. With no opening act booked, fans arrived early for the 7 p.m. doors, stretching a line close to the corner of 7th and Willow. Inside the venue, a line for merch (which included the first official vinyl pressing of the band’s debut LP Ruby Vroom) was longer than any line for bathrooms or beer, reaching back to the GA Floor area.
A half hour of anticipation passed before Soul Coughing took the stage at 8:30 p.m. The stage setup was no-nonsense: just a black curtain, the instruments, and the band. Each of the original members of Soul Coughing were present, sporting all black with the exception of Doughty’s navy blue button-up. With Yuval Gabay on drums, Mark De Gli Antoni behind an electric keyboard, Sebastian Steinberg next to his stand-up bass, and Mike Doughty holding the mic, the group was ready to reintroduce their unconventional sound to the crowd.
Soul Coughing | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
The first portion of the show danced between the group’s rap-leaning tracks, such as “Bus to Beezlebub” and “Down to This,” and their more traditional pop-rock tracks like “Soft Serve.” Behind Doughty’s wordy lyrics and poetic refrains were steady drum beats, active bass lines, and an eclectic range of synths and samples. The song “White Girl” was notably abstract, with odd interjecting vocals, chaotic keyboard sounds, and swells in tempo culminating in an abrupt ending.
“True Dreams of Wichita” appeared to be a fan favorite as the crowd cheered upon hearing Steinberg’s opening bassline. In contrast to the boom bap-esque drums of their rap cuts, “Wichita” had a softer, cymbal-padded drum performance which served as a pleasant break to the energy. It was quite cool to hear scattered vocal samples within the mix as well. After this song, the band went straight into “I Miss the Girl,” a loud breakbeat-based track from their third and final album together, El Oso. The song had a trance-y effect, aided by the swirling and ever changing drum performance from Gabay. Each member was completely locked in by this point; Gabay smiled and kept time, De Gli Antoni looked like he was taking an exam, Doughty’s non-mic hand fiddled with his shirt pocket, and Steinberg looked possessed by his bass.
Soul Coughing | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Once in a while, Doughty would finish a song and simply observe the applause, unable to hide his contagious smile. He chose not to speak much and let the performance express itself. Some highlights from the later half of the set included the off-the-walls jazz of “Casiotone Nation,” the calm simplicity of Doughty’s guitar part on “Sugar Free Jazz,” a single-chord jam session during the darker “Blue Eyed Devil,” and the overall creativity of De Gli Antoni’s sample work. His keyboard would play multiple sounds at once, ranging from seagull-like squawking to airy organ pipes.
Near the end of the set, Doughty thoroughly explained the band’s encore process before breaking out one of Soul Coughing’s biggest tracks, the 1998 single “Circles.” The song foreshadowed the pop-centric direction Doughty’s solo career would eventually take. They followed this up with “Screenwriter’s Blues,” a creatively poetic portrayal of radio that still feels original in 2024, when on-air skits have been rinsed and repeated as album interludes.
Soul Coughing | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Without even exiting the stage (Doughty actively grabbed his instrument back from an off-stage guitar tech), the band began their encore. Saving their most iconic song for last, they ended with “Super Bon Bon,” which was highly elevated by the unique texture of Steinberg’s stand-up bass. The crowd bounced with excitement during the track and absolutely erupted as it ended. It was a moment that truly felt special to witness, experiencing the performance of a band that no one believed would ever reunite on stage. The members came forward and waved to the sea of hands applauding them, likely knowing that they had just served them tangible nostalgia and a niche moment in music history.
Soul Coughing’s reunion tour only has two more stops left, both in their birthplace of New York City. After that, who knows what the future of the group will be. However, the seal has now been broken, and after 25 years, they were able to reunite on stage for a special set of shows. To keep tabs on the band, check out their website, and to keep tabs on other shows in Philly, visit XPN’s Concert Calendar. Check out more photos from Soul Coughing’s Franklin Music Hall gig and their setlist below.