Sad Moth Concert Tour Pt. 3 No Blurry Concert Pictures by Request of Jeff Mangum: Neutral Milk Hotel

"Heil NMH!"

Quintessential indie-rock band Neutral Milk Hotel is on their last formal tour together, and I was privileged enough to see one of their last concerts that they would ever have. If you haven't heard of or listened to NMH, they're an indie rock group out of Louisiana, front manned by the mellow Jeff Mangum, who can only be described as what former Sad Moth writer Nimbi would have looked like in his forties (RIP). Neutral Milk Hotel is a band that some consider being a major contributor to shaping the indie music scene of today. Many famous bands such as Arcade Fire, Beirut, or Animal Collective were inspired by Neutral Milk Hotel, specifically by their album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. They have an interesting sound that ranges from folk/ folk-punk to lo-fi, and they're a necessity to listen to because of how solid and unique they are composition wise. Fun instrumental fact, this noise is actually made by a violin bow being moved across a bent saw blade, that's the type of listening experience you get from Neutral Milk Hotel.

If you've been to a Neutral Milk Hotel concert before one thing you would know is that by request, taking pictures isn't aloud. It's not something that's taken lightly either. The first time I saw them live a girl snapped a picture of Jeff Mangum and he stopped singing and playing just to flip her off and say, "fuck you." So I didn't want to be disrespectful, or publicly humiliated by being singled out in a large crowd, because I tried snagging some eloquent blurry concert pictures. I also don't have the photographic touch like my co-author Noah. Since I don't have photos this kind of puts the transparent author/reader relationship that we've established with our Blurry Concert Picture series in a weird place. I mean at this point in the article I could basically just make up what happened and what their set list was, you know something ridiculous like "Jeff Mangum got on stage, furiously masturbated for an hour, ensuring that the fapping noise was the only sound on the mic, and then played a lo-fi cover of the Ghost Buster's theme." Also you guys could just not believe me, so as a motion of establishing mutual trust here is my concert ticket...

Blanked out my information for obvious reasons

Now that that's out of the way let's get onto the concert, I have got to say it was pretty great. Neutral Milk Hotel played a strong setlist that was energizing, but laid back when it needed to be. The beginning of the concert had Jeff play I Will Bury You in Time solo, which was pretty  but then it transitioned perfectly into Holland 1945 which made the place explode into this lively, energetic mosh--it was a ton of fun to just cut loose, and the music complimented that. Their choice of music was great for a final concert, they played all the highlights off of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, as well as their hits of their other albums like Song Against Sex. Not to mention they played their hearts out too. The entire band is made up of very talented individuals that make songs that already sound good on album sound great live. I think that's where the "no photography" philosophy of Jeff Mangum spawns from. He is entirely passionate about playing his music and because of that it's beautiful. Taking pictures of it would be like taking pictures of fireworks, there's no point because by immortalizing that moment, you are in turn missing it. An evening with Neutral Milk Hotel is just that, and that's something you don't get very often at concerts. 

I had a really enjoyable night with this band and have this melancholy feeling to see one of the greats go. Maybe someday we will meet again, but until then farewell Neutral Milk Hotel.

Happy listening,

Sad Moth Manny

"And one day we will die
And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
But for now we are young
Let us lay in the sun
And count every beautiful thing we can see
Love to be
In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me"