Concert Recommendation: Mike Doughty and Dan Wilson

There are pluses and minuses to Doughty touring solo. The old Soul Coughing songs miss something without Sebastian Steinberg's supple funk on upright bass, M'ark de Gli Antoni's unexpected samples or Doughty's shouting, "Yuval Gabay!" since the drummer isn't present. On the other hand, the spareness of just Doughty and his guitar makes it easier to decipher his absurdist lyrics. Also, he has always provided great between-song banter.

Opener Dan Wilson is worth catching in his own right. He has an angelic voice and has written some beautifully catchy songs with both Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic. Don't dismiss him as a one-hit wonder for "Closing Time."

Mike Doughty and Dan Wilson play Schuba's, 3159 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, IL, 773.525.2508, at 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 and 7 p.m. on Monday, April 28.