Teachers love questions.

Not just the ones they put on a pop quiz to catch their students off guard. They love it when students actually ask questions in class. Not only does it mean they're paying attention, but that they truly care about what they're learning day in and day out. The kids, well, they actually care. And that means the teacher is doing something right.

Interview With Singer-Songwriter Mike Doughty
Doughty Performs "Tremendous Brunettes"
Doughty Performs "Busting Up A Starbucks"

Singer-songwriter Mike Doughty has to get a similar feeling during each of his tour stops in preparation of his latest release, Golden Delicious, which drops on the public Feb. 19.

You see, Doughty's not only playing some of his greatest hits from his Soul Coughing days and his own vast array of melodic compositions off his solo albums, but he has also offered himself up to his fans.

Go ahead. Pen a deep, thoughtful question for Mike and drop it in his Question Jar on stage. No question is taboo (almost) and all will get a thoughtful answer (most of the time).

OK, OK, so not every question is deep and thoughtful. At his recent show at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, Md., the questions ran the gamut from obscure ("Who would win in fight, a tiger with machine guns for legs or a robot with human emotions?") to the downright silly ("I have to poop. Can you play Moon Sammy?").

Yes, opening yourself up like that on stage will tend to draw some awkward remarks, but Doughty is no stranger to being one with his public.

After a strong run with Soul Coughing in the 1990s, Doughty quit the band and decided to go out on his own. With no major label help, Doughty resorted to selling his CDs himself after shows. But his connection with his audience grew parallel with his solo career.

Today, Doughty maintains a strong presence on MySpace. He has his own Web site, as well, where he has become a solid blogger, updating his fans on everything from his struggle with bipolar disorder to his band's latest tattoos -- all in one post.

Doughty lays it all out there for his audience -- everything that they crave to know about him and probably a lot more. That's why they stick with him. They're an extremely faithful bunch.

Even when, as on this foggy night in Annapolis, he just can't seem to focus on several songs. There's no outward embarrassment. Mike stops, apologizes and picks up where he left off. Some audience members might be turned off by such gaffs, but Doughty's fans realizes he's human. Everyone makes mistakes.

So when Mike hits the stage, everyone checks their egos at the door. It's just a man with a guitar, his trusty cello player, Andrew "Scrap" Livingston, a glass jar and a room full of people who want to hear great music and have a great time.

Doughty delivered on all accounts at the Rams Head.

He played a strong set of favorites like "Tremendous Brunettes," "Sunken-Eyed Girl," "Thank You Lord For Sending Me The F Train" and "Busting Up A Starbucks," as well as some Soul Coughing classics. He also threw in some of his new material, like the highly promising "I Just Want The Girl In The Blue Dress To Keep Dancing" and "Fort Hood," which is a tribute to the men and women serving from that military base.

He also played "27 Jennifers," a catchy tune that was originally released in 2003. Doughty recorded the song again for his new album, this time with a full band backing him up. It is the first single to be released from Golden Delicious.

Doughty seemed excited to showcase his new songs. And they were received well on this night by about 250 of his most passionate fans.

Doughty knew he had their attention. He could tell by the smiles in the audience and the full, restaurant-sized glass pickle jar full of questions. Now he just has to figure out how to get the rest of the world to listen as intently.