Jeff Mangum, former and future frontman of late ’90s indie rockers Neutral Milk Hotel, means a lot to a lot of people. With nary a peep from him since the turn of the century, his silence has been as mythical as his music. A couple of generations later, Mangum is viewed in some circles in the same way as, say, Syd Barrett or Nick Drake: an artist whose art destroyed him. Of course, this only adds further intrigue to his followers who mostly discovered Neutral Milk Hotel’s two albums after the fact.
Mangum, who appeared appropriately weathered from years in some mysterious abyss, unassumingly walked onstage to reverent applause, sat down with his acoustic guitar, and sang some Neutral Milk Hotel songs. He was in fine form throughout, intoning meditations on death, sex, self-loathing, and varying combinations of all three as the audience shuddered at every vocal tic and mumbled whisper. Mangum, possessor of an especially expressive voice, weaved in and out of his idiosyncratic melodies, exorcising every last bit of pain and longing in songs like “Song Against Sex” and “Two-Headed Boy.” Almost exactly 45 minutes later, including the obligatory encore, Jeff Mangum was gone once again.
As the house lights briskly illuminated Mangum’s farewell, the puzzle began to solve itself. The ticket prices that hovered in the $30-dollar range, the $100 vinyl box set being sold in the lobby, and the absurdly short set length all smacked of intentions of monetary gain, and little else. The recent announcement of Neutral Milk Hotel’s upcoming fall reunion tour revealed Jeff Mangum to be a crass businessman, expanding his profit margin by selling out his fans. If he were Britney Spears doing a comeback tour, the scenario would be perfectly logical. But Mangum is not a pop singer; he is an artiste whose music changed and shaped many lives under the guise of honesty and integrity. He desecrated his own parables by turning his work into a 45-minute advertisement for his upcoming Neutral Milk Hotel tour. If he needed the money, he could have licensed his songs for Target or Volkswagen commercials. But he didn’t. He disrespectfully pimped out his music to the people to whom it holds untold worth, belittling his audience and reducing them to common johns, impersonally serviced in place of the implicit promise of enlightenment.
This article appears in Apr 4-10, 2013.
Great satire, Joshua! I got a good laugh out of your last paragraph. I bet you can hardly wait to see him play again. 🙂
So instead of turning to his fans who love and want to support him, he should’ve sold out to Target? No one there had a gun to their head when they bought their $30 ticket or their $100 box set. I’m not positive, but I’d dare to guess Mangum has never called himself an ‘artiste’, and who can really know about his honesty or integrity. He’s a musician who needs to pay the bills just like everybody else, so why not let his adoring fans do that for him if they so please? If there were no call for it, he wouldn’t be on tour & he wouldn’t be selling someone a $100 version of something they already own.
This review only really makes sense if you are *not* a Jeff Magnum fan and went to this show. If you are a fan I can not understand how you feel like you were overcharged or whatever trite complaint you are trying to file through your pseudo-journalism above. I used to be a big neutral milk hotel fan like many others and thought this was an amazing show. All us fans thought we would never see Jeff play live ever again so the fact that he ever played at all is amazing. Yes, it was a short set but so are most NMH songs and albums. There are really only 2 full length albums both being fairly short (50 mins and 38 mins) . Jeff played nearly all of the more popular album (minus 2 songs) and half of his first album, nearly 75% of all released songs.
Really, what more could you want? This was a intimate evening with Jeff Mangum and anyone could have figured this out by reading other reviews of the tour (and maybe the fact that the show was billed as “Jeff Mangum” and not “Neutral Milk Hotel”) I went with a few fans , we are all in out early 30’s and we all thought that it might be a rip-off and who knows what we would think all these years after we ate up neutral milk hotel. We all came to the same conclusion: The show was amazing, his voice has held up amazingly and he was full of love and was having a good time. We were plesently surprised and all walked away having a great night.
Like I said, if you are already not a Jeff Mangum or NMH fan then I don’t think this show would have done it for you. If you were/are a fan then I can not fathom how this show did not do it for you. Granted you don’t seem like a fan since you have no idea why he sipped out on the music scene for so long (its easy to find this out , there are letters written to fans by Jeff that explain his not so mysterious (at all) absence)..
Also, there is no NMH tour planned, not sure where you get your information from but you should fact check it as it is wrong.
ANYWAYS.. Figured some of the weekly readers might want a more accurate review of this show from someone who actually likes the musician, kind of makes more sense to have someone write about a show who likes the bad.. but maybe that common sense is unique to me alone…
As a woman who benefits from the generosity of discreet gentlemen or what some people call “johns,” I take issue with the last paragraph. Though there is some entertainment that justifiably comes at a high price, I find the selling of an overpriced boxset (in this digital age of all times) and a concert ticket price that approaches 1 dollar a minute, well below my and my colleagues standards. Frankly, I’m offended by the comparison.
@ALL: This essay is a damn good exploration of who Jeff Mangum is as a human being, I think you will understand his motives better after you read it. This is what music means to him, I think.
******
True, that Jeff Mangum is touring again may feel like a risk–but it is the best kind of risk an artist can take. He’s been compared to JD Salinger, who’s career was defined by a similiar myth, but frankly all this tour proves is that Jeff has 10 times JD’s guts. Judging from his interviews and statements he has made about his own creativity, his attitude has always been to value AUTHENTICITY in his art above all else, and that is why his performances have inspired authentic awe in those who have been lucky enough to hear him sing. What Jeff will choose to do next is still anyone’s guess, but nothing his heart allows him to do can possibly damage his myth or his legacy. His return to the stage might be the best artistic risk he has ever taken. Jeff has been doing, truly, a most beautiful thing. All he has to do is continue to follow his heart.
*****
From: http://www.neutralmilkhotel.org/faq.htm
when i wrote aeroplane, i spent 90 percent of my time screaming nonsence
into my little tape recorder, or chopping up sounds with my sound blender, or
just making noise, and 10 percent of my time writing songs. it was very liberating,
because i never thought about what i was doing, and a week before we went to record i didnt even think we had a half finished album. but i didnt care. i figured if we went the studio,and only recorded one finished song, then that would be fine. creating just one minute ofsomething inspiring is an incredibly fun thing to do. so next time you hear that neutral milkis recording, dont get your hopes up. it may only be one minute of music.
major organ was just a bunch of friends putting music together for fun. it was a project
that changed hands at least a dozen times, and most of the time you didnt even know who was working on it,and you never knew where it would go. released mostly to inspire other dreamers and home recorders to do the same with there friends. we weren’t trying to create a masterpiece. trying to do anything is the of death of creativity, and if we can encourage people to not try, but to just do, then we have accomplished our goal.
*****
“I think what Elephant 6 meant for us is very simple: there’s something pure and infinite in you, that wants to come out of you, and can come out of no other person on the planet. That’s as real and important as the fact you’re alive. We were able, at a really young age, to somehow protect each other so we could feel that. The world at large, careerism, money, magazines, your parents, the people at the rock club in your town, other kids, nothing is going to gvie you that message, necessarily. In fact, most things are going to lead you away from it, sadly, because humanity is really confused at the moment. But you wouldn’t exist if the universe didn’t need you. And any time I encounter something beautiful that came out of a human somewhere, that’s them, that’s their soul. That’s just pure, whatever its physicality is, if the person can play piano, if they can’t play piano, if they’re tone deaf, whatever it is, if it’s pure, it hits you like a sledgehammer. It fills up your own soul, it makes you want to cry, it makes you glad you’re alive, it lets *you* come out of *you*. And that’s what we need: we desperately need *you*.”
–Julian Koster, circa 2005, from the book about the making of Aeroplane. Julian has appeared with Jeff on many of the recent tour dates.
*****
Comments made during his Fall tour, From: http://blog.beatgoeson.com/2011/08/15/mang…
JM: Anybody have any questions? Not that I have any answers, but . . .
Fan: Will there be a new album?
JM: I don’t have any fucking idea. I didn’t think I’d be doing this.
Fan: We’re glad you are.
JM: I’m glad I am too. I think it’s good for me, I dunno . . .
Fan: Have you been writing new songs?
JM: I go through periods of writing. I mean, if something came out of my heart naturally I’d put it out, but I’m not gonna make another record because of . . . whatever . . . all the other bullshit.
[applause]
*****
Comments on his creative process in a 2002 interview: http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/5…
Pitchfork: Is this reframing process something you use in your songwriting in general? Do the songs come out of fragments?
Jeff: Yeah, usually I create tunes that are fragmented. I think the biggest obstacle for people with their creativity is that they feel they have to sit down and create this finished, polished product. Especially nowadays, it’s so easy to have a library of two thousand CDs, books and records. So many things. We’re used to having all of these finished works of art in our life that seem to arise out of nothing. I think that so much of the creative process is a fragmentary one, and then it’s about just allowing your intuition to put it together for you. It’s funny how you create something and you think you’re going in a million different directions, and then the thing you end up with is the thing that you wanted to create your whole life, but you’re just as surprised by it as anybody else.
*****
The only thing the myth has done for Aeroplane is, perhaps, given the album more exposure. But time and time again, the album justifies its own stature in the ears of a new listener. When I saw Jeff perform I brought a close friend who knew nothing of the songs and nothing of the myth. After the performance my friend was glowing, saying it was one of the most amazing concerts she has ever been to. Many in the audience knew all of the lyrics by heart, even though most were probably in preschool when Aeroplane was first released. Such a following is not gained through luck alone–Jeff is a rare talent, and I hope the myth of Aeroplane does not stop him from taking the next great risk and daring new material.
report
Your article is rediculous. I can’t imagine what a miserable person you must be to have had that experience at Jeff Mangum last Friday night. I feel sorry for you.
This was the first article I’ve read in the Weekly in quite some time. I’m glad to say I haven’t missed anything. Not only does this article structure its asinine opinion around completely false information, it paints one of the most gifted songwriters of the generation in an absoulutely unnecessarily negative light. God, to let such filth be published in your magazine is inexcusable. I don’t even blame the writer; shame on you Tucson Weekly.
@Destiny – The box set sells for more then 100 bucks constantly on e-bay, so if you look at it that way its a steel (AKA defiantly worth it on a dollar per dollar basis since you like to break down things in this way). Also a vinyl has been “in” for the last 15 or so years again, just a heads up for your knowledge base. The money is relative, you sound kind of cheep but thats ok, to each their own. I cant even imagine trying to enjoy any concert while thinking how much I have paid per minute and if its a good deal.. What a way to really waste my night. You pay for a show if its worth it, it should not matter how long the band plays or if they contort to all your standards. This should not even be an excess since you can find out how long any show is on the net now , set lists are posted daily so you can reference that and figure out “exactly” what you are paying for and take the element of surprise out of the equation. The band runs the show but alas everyone is a critic. I hope I never have friends with the kind of standards that you have, bleh.
I had never heard this Jeff Magnum guy before. After reading all the hoopla in this comment section, I had to check him out. My two word review – shit sandwich. You people are really taking a music review of some two bit, hipster has been a little to personal. Bravo, Joshua Levine, bravo.
I am not seeing where the writer has trashed the artist or his music (e.g.”He was in fine form throughout,” “possessor of an especially expressive voice”). The last paragraph of the article brings up the point that Mangum is cashing in on his legacy and that seems to have struck a nerve with some of you. However, that does not mean you can cast the entire article as an attack on the quality of the artistic output. It wasn’t, read it again. Also, the worst way to deal with these feelings is too attack the writer and the quality of the article itself because you cannot bear to have anything not entirely complimentary stated about someone you admire.
@Goo: You’re entitled to your aesthetic. His music is not for everyone.
@Bryce: I didn’t miss the positive elements that this reviewer noted. You’re missing what makes the last paragraph a flashpoint for several of the angrier commentators. The emotional responses here have nothing to do with the reviewer highlighting the financial dimensions of the tour. It’s because the writer presents his theory as if he is speaking for an entire fan base. On what authority can he say that Jeff’s fans, many of who have waited so long to see him play, are being VICTIMIZED when they go see him perform, and implying most are so naively caught up in the experience that they don’t even realize they are being taken advantage of? THAT’S what’s absurd, what makes fans want to post rebuttals. We’re proving he does not speak for everyone and pointing out that he has jumped to a wild, seemingly vindictive conclusion that because the experience did not deliver for him the entire tour must be about ripping people off. THAT’S what makes it a perfectly ridiculous rant. You were let down? You felt personally victimized? Fine, say so. His set was too short for what you paid? Ask for your money back. Say anything you want, as negative as whatever, but say it for YOURSELF, and don’t try to speak for an entire fan base that you’re obviously out of touch with. That’s where this writer went over the line, and why other fans are chiming in with their own $0.02. Some of these fans seem to feel personally insulted by his reckless interpretation of an experience they found/find deeply meaningful/moving on a VERY personal level.
Amen, Joshua. I hope it isn’t satire. Jeff Mangum is a precious narcissist who never would have disappeared had the internet (i.e. you and I) not stiffened his legend. I saw his show in LA at the beginning of his ‘comeback’…he kept his band off-stage until about 45 minutes passed- and then his trumpet player walks out holding a single note and the crowd acts like Dizzy Gillespie had blown his first horn since being resurrected. It’s bullshit.
I love Aeroplane- none of this takes away from it. It’s a wonderful album. I would never skip the chance to push it on someone who’s never heard it.
It’s OK to admonish your heroes. If the Beatles played a few shows in the late-60s it would have been a different place and they would have finished their sets…Beatlemania was over. There’s always something missing in the Beatles because they stopped performing. It’s why you have to follow the Stones if you’re interested in the era- they were out there, not just writing wonderful music but being a part of it.
So Jeff Mangum plays as some ossified version of his previous self because he needs the money. That’s obvious. But there are casinos if that’s your thing.
Man, Joshua, did Jeff Mangum kill your mom or something? Talk about missing the point…Geezus. If Jeff Mangum was in it for the money I doubt he would have dropped completely out of the music scene at the height of a popularity experienced by exceedingly few musicians, and think he would have played more than a handful of shows in peoples’ basements over the last decade plus. He is driving himself around in a station wagon on this tour, and I saw him walk right in through the main door carrying his possessions in a plastic grocery bag–you could see the screen of his cell phone illuminated through the plastic–no one else in the lobby even recognized him. I suppose you’d attribute these things to shrewd cost cutting measures, intended to further maximize profit by saving on non-essentials like tour busses and proper luggage/backpacks, but I get the feeling there’s not much that could be said to change your mind. I was at the show, and while I never thought to put JM on a timer, found the perfomance to be quite exceptional nonetheless, and one that I and countless others have waited more than a decade for. Perhaps his intention was to give these people the opportunity to finally see him and experience the extraordinary music he made first hand. As for the short set, 50 minutes really isn’t that short for a solo acoustic performance. Also, you should try singing those songs sometimes–I guarantee you your lungs will not thank you. There are very, VERY few names in the history of modern music as revered as Mr. Mangum’s, and I think that you are more than a little out of your element critiquing his intentions, especially since you seem to have made up out of thin air the crux of your argument…Neutral Milk Hotel Reunion…I WISH….and if there was I’d happily pay far more than 28 bucks for however long a performance they chose to grace me with. Get a life!
Jeff Magnum is a DAMN good name for a porno actor.
I always thought Neutral Milk Hotel made Nick Drake sound like Raffi.
Great review, Josh.
“Implicit promise of enlightenment” ??? No wonder you were disappointed. Think maybe you went in with unrealistic expectations? Just a little? It was just a concert, and a fine one at that, and your own issues have no place in your review unless you identifiy them as such. I don’t think Jeff Mangum has ever promised enlightenment, implicitly or otherwise, and I think most people would find that statement absurd.
what a terrible review. Jesus, Josh, we must not have been at the same show.
Wow! Turns out the author may have been on to something http://m.pitchfork.com/news/47783-neutral-…
..I’m wondering when the comments apologizing to the author for some pretty venomous statements are going to start coming in. However, in this day and age, why would anyone let the facts supersede their sense of outrage?