THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 22, 1996 TAG: 9610220024
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music review
SOURCE: BY JEFF MAISEY, SPECIAL TO THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
LENGTH: 44 lines
IF YOU WERE ailing from boredom Sunday night, then a good dose of Soul Coughing was probably just what you needed. The New York City quartet successfully executed their complex mixture of hip-hop and rock on more than 300 blissful fans at the Virginia Beach club The Abyss.
The soul and body of the big city sound that the foursome lay down is the dynamic thundering of the upright bass masterfully played by Sebastian Steinberg. Steinberg, together with percussionist Yuval Gabay, kept the phat beat pumping all night long.
As a follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut album, ``Ruby Vroom,'' Soul Coughing powerfully brought to life the funky provocative material from ``Irresistible Bliss,'' their new Warner Brothers/Slash release, which has everyone euphorically moving to the Soul Coughing sound. With a fresh, non-regurgitated approach to pop music, and in resistance to defining what musical marketing label should be stamped on the band, Soul Coughing kept the crowd dancing non-stop in the pit from start to finish.
Ranging from the rhythmic new single ``Soundtrack to Mary'' to the heavy motion of ``Super Bon Bon,'' the essence of their modern urban vibe was undeniably a glimpse into the future. The greatest reaction from the crowd, however, came when the band went into ``Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago'' from ``Ruby Vroom.'' It featured a copious supply of singer/guitarist M. Doughty's straightforward guitar work and a rare traditional exercise on keyboards by the experimental wizard of sampled sounds, Mark De Gli Antoni.
It was M. Doughty who proved to be, indeed, the expressive showman that you might expect. Constantly on the move, with all of the circular explanatory hand gestures associated with hip-hop communicators, Doughty brought a cohesive sense to what Soul Coughing is all about - a spirited combination of odd noise, a thick phat beat with a pop music approach.
Opening the night was Jerry Enigk. With an odd combination of jangley guitars, bass and drums played by T-shirt-and-jeans-clad musicians, the other side of the stage was taken by a small orchestra including cello, violins, flute and symphonic keyboards. The acoustic guitar-strapped Enigk sounded remotely like Jeff Buckly - though a great bit more tragic and chaotic. Most of all the assortment proved interesting, as well as entertaining.
KEYWORDS: CONCERT REVIEW by CNB