I Have Been Floated & Shaving Spiders

[gardenfuck]

Are the two songs Jeff sang tonight with Olivia.

I have been floated was the 4th or 5th song of the set. Jeff came out. The crowd freaked. Flash bulbs everywhere. He sang the chorus twice. Eric Harris was on bass and hugged him.. Eric cried. Jeff cried. I shit myself. Jeff did a little bow and left the stage.

Shaving Spiders was the one and only encore song. Jeff sang it with wiilll. Jeff pogoed like there was no tomorrow. He started grabbing John and John's hair. Then he grabbed Julian.

The evening ended with Julian just takcling Jeff.

Amazing. Goodnight.

[jml]

confirmed. mangum was really into his mini-performance(s) and then went completely nuts on "shaving spiders," real energetic performance from everyone that ended in some sort of group pigpile. tall dwarfs definitely tried to get him out at one point as well (not sure which song it was for). great concert.

[wingedfeetxc]

Absolutly amazing. You could see it was really difficult for Jeff to go out there and when he finally did sing it looked like, not to sound mellowdramatic, like he was conquoring demons. I will never forget that as long as I live. In the morning I'll post the whole story of what happened. As for now, I've been up for 22 hours straight and I'm going to bed. Can't wait to get ahold of some bootlegs from this concert; it was incredible.

[the_cutout]

Is there a recording of this show, or pictures, or anything!!!!!

[jml]

yeah, it was pretty neat how happy he looked to be up onstage...grabbing the mic away, screaming, really putting a lot into his few vocals, jumping all over the stage.

[Edited on 8-3-2005 by jml]

[NoHarshChemicals]

what the fuck.

[jml]

and let it not be forgotten that the olivia tremor control were very much on their game as well tonight. i think people would agree with me that the audio won't really do this show justice; video is necessary. i know there was at least one person filming some or all of the show with a digital handheld (he was just left of center stage, maybe ten or fifteen feet back), and there were definitely tons of still photographers. i walked past a guy holding a stack of polaroids on the way out.

[Edited on 8-3-2005 by jml]

[E6NeverComesToLancaster]

indeed amazing performace by otc, hawk and a hacksaw ripped it up too

[Matt_Hatter83]

holy fuck!!!! are you serious? jeff played? he sang? omg... !!!! that is like... what we've been waiting for!!!!! this is it!!! i mean, if he's comfortable going out on stage, how far away could doing his own material be?! this is the goddamn return of jeff mangum!!!! i can't believe i missed it!!!! someone track down a video of that show, like... NOW! this is sooooooooo exciting to me!!! PLEASE someone find a recording/video, please!!!! i'll give you anything!
mat

[auxiliaryoctopus]

I don't know, sounds like it meant a lot to the people involved. I wish I had been there, and certainly hope I can get video. Sounds like perhaps one of the most important E6 events ever.

[gardenfuck]

More details from Jeff's appearance last night:

He had a crazed look in his eye during I have been floated. Really intense, like back when he was touring with NMH. At first, I was like, whoa, Jeff's fucking on stage. Then, I thought, damn. This dude is BACK for real.

I mean, he sang TONS of backup with the Circulatory System when he played drums with them. He sang with Heather McIntosh too. But this was intense. I think he raised a fist during I have Been Floated. He seemed really into it.

Then, for the encore, all of Olivia came out and then Jeff took a few steps out of the backstage area, and the whole place freaking screamed for the guy. He immediately turned and left the stage! He was either messing with us, or didn't know how to handle the greeting, so he turned around and split.

Then he came out and was EXTREMELY confident and happy singing Shaving Spiders. He knew all the words without hesitation. Everybody on stage and in the audience was psyched!

I don't think he was conquering any demons and stuff like that. He was singing songs with his best friends, something he hasn't done in years, and got really emotional. It was wonderful.

Olivia was amazing for the entire night. Green Typewriters suite in its entirety and were much better than the Athens show. We'll see what happens tonight.

[bbegotka]

Originally posted by Half-Handed
Don't get too excited.

Colonel Killjoy reporting for duty...

[auxiliaryoctopus]

Originally posted by Half-Handed
Sorry, just don't want you all longing for something that may not happen.

I think the point is that it already did happen.

This is an exciting event aside from any "comeback" or whatever the future may hold. I think people are just taking it for what it is, which is their favorite performers, one of which has been gone for a while, playing together and having a great, emotional time.

A comeback would be fantastic (and it's high time) but just this event sounds triumph to me, for the fans and particularly the performers.

[gardenfuck]

Mr. Octopus hit the nail on the head.

[Mikey]

wow

[Salman]

damn, i can't wait for a bootleg of this show.

[hypecity]

http://www.blacktable.com/images/0412pics/jesus/28000.jpg

[Edited on 3-23-0606 by hypecity]

[hypecity]

http://www.blacktable.com/images/0412pics/jesus/28000.jpg

[Edited on 3-23-0606 by hypecity]

[poopship]

There are some pictures up here:

http://www.prefixblog.com/

[hypecity]

http://www.blacktable.com/images/0412pics/jesus/28000.jpg

[Edited on 3-23-0606 by hypecity]

[noctiluca_shine]

:o

[hypecity]

http://www.blacktable.com/images/0412pics/jesus/28000.jpg

[Edited on 3-23-0606 by hypecity]

[wingedfeetxc]

I got to the Bowery Ballroom early and as a result I was able to be front and center, right up against the stage. Couldn't get a more perfect (or closer) place to be.

So the first band, A Hawk and A Hacksaw performs. They fromer Neutral Milk Hotel drummer Jermey Barnes (brother of Of Montreal frontman Kevin) and his wife, I think. They play this eastern european folk music. It's very different but it's also quite amazing. For some reason as he is setting up, Barnes says hi to me. Later as after the concert is over, I'm walking out and he's standing by the door shaking people's hands and what not. I got up to shake his hand and tell him he was great and he says "give me a hug" so I'm like, um, okay. Why the hell not. So he hugs me and it's not like this little guy hug it's this big, extended bear hug. I'm a guy by the way so it was cool, but a little "um, okayyyy there". But hey, how many of you can say you've hugged 1/4 of Neutral Milk Hotel.

Next band is the seminal New Zeland indie rock band Tall Dwarfs. Their set was pretty shambolic and amauturish (self described) but when they were on, they were amazing. Chris Knox explained that him and Alec lived 600 miles apart from each other so they didn't get to practice much....it showed but it was still entertaining. At one point Chris called for a "mystery singer" to come out on stage but Jeff wouldn't.

Next was the Olivia Tremor Control; all 9 or 10 of them. They put on an amazing show. Julian Koster is just this little ball of energy, jumping all around. W. Cullen Hart looked like a cross between the guy from The Mars Volta and the mad professor from the Weird Al movie UHF. Scott Spillane shaved his beard!

Anyways, so about 30 minutes into the set, OTC starts "I Have Been Floated". If you are at all familiar with the album version, Jeff sings quite prominetly on it. Among NMH fans, it has widely been hoped that if Jeff was indeed at the show, he would come out and sing this song. A minute passes....then, emerging very slowly and tentativly from the door in the back of the stage off to the right is this figure. He walks out slowly, unrecoginzed at first. After a couple of seconds a few people start to cheer which elevates to a deafening roar within about two seconds; everybody knows who he is. Jeff is of medium height, probably about 5'9" or so. He is wearing pants covered with paint, a blue button up shirt with a white flower embrodered on each shoulder, and a blue cap. He has a beard now but he looks good. He slowly walks up behind Bill Doss who seems him and steps back from his microphone. Jeff steps up; the crowd is still roaring. He gabs the microphone with his hand that is holding his Poland Springs bottle and draws it close to his mouth. He closes his eyes and screams
"have been floated to this thought this hour
on a series of events i cannot explain
gather yer wits, your will, your luck, yer power
that what it would effect that will not remain"

The way he sings is like nothing I've ever seen. You can just SEE him channeling something deep inside. I don't wish to sound mellow dramatic but it really does look like he was conquoring demons up there. SOMETHING was going on. It was like he was overcomming something. I can see why he was such a great singer; he's just able to channel all his emotion so effectivly into his songs. He sings/screams he chorus again. Then steps back. Peter Errcik comes over and hugs Jeff, collapsing into him The just embrace for 15 seconds. Peter is crying. Jeff is crying. Half the audience is crying. The memebers of Olivia Tremor Control, particularly Julian seem thrilled that he's finally back on stage. Jeff smiles, waves to the crowd and walks off. The roar is deafening. Somebody shouts "Jeff Mangum is GOD!!" John Fernadez jokingly says something like "why can't you cheer for us like that?". Somebody else yells "John Fernandez is God!!"" and everybody laughs. The show goes on.

I can see Jeff standing in the doorway just off the stage for most of the show, watching. He seems to be enjoying himself. I seem him laughing and smiling several times. He seems to be really intrested in the Green Typerwritters suite.

At one point near the end, Bill Doss says "A special little shout out to Korena Pang"

OTC finishes and they walk off. Crowd cheers for a long while, they come back on for an encore. Jeff takes a step out, changes his mind and goes back in. Scott walks over and goes into the door to find him and drag him out. Jeff finally comes out. Crowd goes nuts again. OTC launches into Shaving Spiders. Jeff goes crazying screaming the lyrics then starts pogoing like crazy. Jumps up and down all over the stage. At one point I thought he was gonna fall off the stage and one to me. A few seconds later he drags both Julian and John down onto to the ground with him. The show ends with a bang. Jeff goes up to the micorphone, says a barely audible over the roar "thank you" and leaves the stage. It was amazing.

After seeing all this, I don't think Jeff will ever perform as Neutral Milk Hotel again. Just looking at him, I think he is passed that point in his life. I think we can expect something else from him someday but I think Neutral Milk Hotel is in the past and I don't think he particularly wants to revisit the past. Just my two cents. Either way, I can now die happy

[gardenfuck]

great post.

I'm not sure I agree with your last paragraph. It seemed like he was having fun onstage with his closest friends.

Oh, and it was Eric Harris who hugged him and cried with him.

[hypecity]

http://www.blacktable.com/images/0412pics/jesus/28000.jpg

[Edited on 3-23-0606 by hypecity]

[DrinkTeaEatBooks]

Originally posted by wingedfeetxc
Scott Spillane shaved his beard!

Okay, forget Jeff Mangum, anybody got any pictures of this?!

[Edited on 3-8-2005 by DrinkTeaEatBooks]

[wingedfeetxc]

Originally posted by gardenfuck
great post.

I'm not sure I agree with your last paragraph. It seemed like he was having fun onstage with his closest friends.

Oh, and it was Eric Harris who hugged him and cried with him.

ahhh, my mistake.

who was it that was playing lead guitar and singing on most of the songs? All the way to the left of the stage? I know I know who it was but I couldn't remeber the name all night....

[jml]

went like this up front: pete, will, julian, john, bill

[gudhumer]

that must've been one of the most amazing sites ever. like one of the wonders of the world, only very temporary.

[Matt_Hatter83]

the violinist from hawk and a hacksaw is heather trost. and not jeremy's wife. when are we gonna get audio/video from this show?!
mat

[FreedomFoundry]

So do we have a bootleg yet?

[dad_colfax]

sweet mother of god wowzers.:D

[soniclovenoize]

Um, no, there is no releation betwen Jeremy and Kevin Barnes. Pure
coincidence. :P

[motovres]

holy shit fuck yeah! no sense in trying to not get our hopes up, here. i believe the first phase of mangums work is behind us, and only great things to come in the future. if any friends of mangum read these posts, hear this: tell him to get off his ass! the fans are ready!

[kartoonz]

Honestly, folks, who DIDN'T expect Jeff to make an appearance at the New York shows? I can't be the only one who did. All of NMH in one place + one of Jeff's favorite bands (Tall Dwarfs) + A band he used to be in (OTC) + in the town Jeff lives in = Jeff is probably going to be there. Very cool that he was. If I lived less than 16 hours from NYC I would have been there, too.

[Edited on 8-4-2005 by kartoonz]

[gudhumer]

you've been thinking with the same logic i have been using. i totally had been expecting him to be there as soon as i heard that otc would be playing in new york. with every new detail that came out (jeremy barnes' band opening, julian and scott touring with otc, etc.) i figured that jeff would have to be at one of the shows in his home town.