Jeff Mangum performs at Chris Knox benefit May 6th 2010 (with videos)


Photo courtesy of Hugh Twyman

Last night in New York City, Neutral Milk Hotel singer Jeff Mangum made an extremely rare public performance. It was for a benefit for Chris Knox, the legendary musician from New Zealand who is currently in rehab after suffering a stroke last year.

Mangum performed songs from the now-classic second Neutral Milk Hotel album In The Aeroplane Over The Sea – the first time he has done so in over a decade – as well as other Neutral Milk Hotel songs.

The full five song set was:

“Oh, Comely”
“A Baby For Pree”
“Two Headed Boy pt. 2”
“In The Aeroplane Over The Sea”

Encore:
“Engine”

Cameras were not allowed inside the vneue, but fortunately someone managed to sneak one in and take a few sneaky videos of “Oh Comely” and “A Baby For Pree,” which are below. The video quality isn’t great, but it’s certainly listenable and, well, it’s the best you’re likely to get for a long while, so thankyou to them.

Video: Neutral Milk Hotel – “A Baby For Pree”

Video: Neutral Milk Hotel – “Oh Comely”