Yes, he's a Goth. No, he's not a joke. He believes in Gothic romance and tragedy and lives by the trappings.
Music
He was a fairly big part of the Goth scene in San Francisco, and has been the lead singer in several different goth bands over the last few years. He's very good.
Hollow One
He's fairly new to all of this, but he is a fledgling member of the Hollow Ones.
Experience
Sex, drugs, music. He wants to sink into an oblivion of experience, because the world is fucked, so why not?