Yes, you can use the MultiColumns and populate manually, but you still have to use the .NET-style data source for the combo box.  Basically, you have to have a list behind the combo box that defines the items, and the easiest way to do this is with a DataTable, but you can just as easily create a custom class with a few properties and use a generic list with a BindingSource, but the DataTable already has all of those interfaces on it.