Live Photos and Video are by Daniella Maria – many thanks!
The Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour @ The Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL 10-21-08
There are Elephant 6 die-hards and there are more casual fans, who embrace Neutral Milk Hotel but just dip briefly into The Apples in Stereo, Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control. The Holiday Surprise Tour, orchestrated as an almost personal project by Julian Koster (The Music Tapes, Neutral Milk Hotel), inspired by a dream he had, leans heavily toward rewarding those die-hards for their years of devotion during a phase of Elephant 6 that has seen the dissolution of two of the tentpole bands of the collective, Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control. For those folks, like myself of course, the night was a dream; it was the kind of thing I never thought I’d witness, and certainly one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended. On the other hand, casual fans might enter at their own risk, understanding that Julian and friends have put together a sprawling show of epic length, with almost-equal time allotted to each of the bands represented onstage, plus the screening of two short films and a lot of intentional disarray with a very flexible set list. Those bands represented extend beyond the range of songs they played; that is to say, the men and women onstage have been in far more Athens-based bands, some well known, some underground, than the discography sampled during the evening. It’s easier to say that the music of the following bands were played by members of them: Major Organ and the Adding Machine, Circulatory System, The Olivia Tremor Control, the Gerbils, Elf Power, The Apples in Stereo, Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t, 63 Crayons, The Music Tapes, Nana Grizol, Scott Spillane, and, yes, Neutral Milk Hotel. There were surprise appearances (I don’t think anyone was expecting Robert Schneider to show up), holiday gift-giving (in October), a giant metronome, Static the television, paper masks, soft and beautiful songs, raucous, rocking songs, and certainly musical discoveries for those less well-versed in the Athens scene. (I wonder how many new fans were earned by the standout performances by 63 Crayons and Nana Grizol?)
The Tuesday evening show was at the Bottom Lounge, located under Chicago’s roaring, rattling “L” train, a nondescript venue a bit smaller than I’d expected it to be, but packed to the corners. At first all politely sat cross-legged before the movie screen awaiting the debut of the very first Elephant 6 movie, the years-in-development Major Organ and the Adding Machine, based upon the 2001 concept album credited only to “the Elephant 6 Orchestra.” The screen consisted of pieces of wood roughly screwed together with a white screen fluttering before it–very DIY E6–and the fluttering effect gave an additional lysergic coating to the film, so the picture distorted more than it was even meant to. Directed by Joey Foreman and Olivia Tremor Control’s (and Elf Power’s, and Frosted Ambassador’s, &c.) Eric Harris, it’s a short (approximately 30 minutes) with no dialogue, but silent film-style captions; the “old folks” in the film do talk, but it’s with a bizarre, high-pitched chattering noise. These codgers–all Athens locals with incongruous white beards–are watching a TV program that’s rather like how David Lynch might interpret the Gong Show. Jeff Mangum plays a lobster, who fails to please the TV host (Heather McIntosh of The Instruments and Gnarls Barkley). Meanwhile, two young kids (played by the children of E6 fixture John Fernandes) are enlisted by Madam Truffle–who shrinks them down and sticks them in a box–to go on a quest to gather unorthodox baking supplies so that she can make her ultimate creation, the mystical Moonpie Eye. Their tasks include, as the lyrics to “His Mister’s Pet Whistles” proclaim, “cataloguing pictures taken of telephone poles,” and passing through stock footage, swimming underwater, chasing down a chili-eating guy, and other things too dizzying to recall. At one point Elf Power’s Andrew Rieger cameos as Francisco, a soldier who comes out of the television to rescue the kids, even though they don’t need rescuing–so he eats a cookie and leaves. The more I describe the film, the more I recognize its affinity with the Beatles‘ self-directed Magical Mystery Tour TV-movie. Luckily, expectations aren’t so monumentally high with the cult-level Elephant 6 collective, so the film can be enjoyed for what it is: an exceptionally silly, at times very imaginative diversion. It’s as amateurish as you’d expect, though layered with plenty of fun visual effects, editing tricks, and Pythonesque sight gags, and if you’re game, as I was, you’ll enjoy it plenty. (Orange Twin is releasing it on DVD, packaged with an extended version of the Major Organ and the Adding Machine album, sometime late next year.)
Then the show proper began, divided, as Julian later explained it to the audience, into two parts, “Side A” and “Side B.” Side A began with something I never thought I’d get the chance to see: a live performance of “His Mister’s Pet Whistles” by Major Organ and the Adding Machine (wearing paper masks to preserve their anonymity, but quite obviously fronted by Julian, sharing vocals with Andrew from Elf Power). At this point my mind was in a kind of euphoric state that makes the rest of this review as far from objective as one can possibly imagine (though I’ll try). But let’s just say that if the evening ended right there, I would have had my money’s worth. What then proceeded was a rotating variety show–no lobsters getting roasted, though. What you got to see was one band at a time, usually in slightly altered configurations, the sort of little things to make the big E6 fans geek out. Bill Doss playing with Elf Power, for example. John Fernandes’ clarinet and violin on just about everything. Scott Spillane playing drums. Almost everyone getting on drums at one point or another. (Jeremy Barnes, though in the house, did not get on drums or even onstage, alas.) Following “His Mister’s Pet Whistles,” W. Cullen Hart took the mic to lead the E6 Orchestra through Circulatory System’s “Yesterday’s World.” Then we got some Elf Power (”Spiral Stairs” being a particular highlight), and Bill Doss singing Olivia Tremor Control to the accompaniment of Julian’s masterfully-controlled singing saw: not a single stray warbling note from Julian, who gets the warble just as it’s supposed to warble. Scott Spillane sang multiple times throughout the evening, though during “Side A” it was exclusively representing the Gerbils. Since the premature, tragic death of Gerbil and Athens-based photographer Will Westbrook a few years ago, the band seems to have gone on an understandable hiatus, which is why it was such a special treat to hear Scott singing “Snorkel,” and then enthusiastically ripping up his throat for showstopper “Lead.” The Apples in Stereo’s Robert Schneider also took the stage, claiming that he’d just now decided what he wanted to play, and proceeded with “The Afternoon.” Later he’d be joined by Apples Chris McDuffie and Bill Doss, with Will Hart on drums, for “Stream Running Over” and “Skyway.” His genuinely surprising appearance had the feeling of giving a fuller shape to the family reunion–representing “Elephant 6 West,” as they used to call it, back when Robert and the Apples were in Denver.
At the end of Side A, Pete Erchick sang the Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t song “Karaoke Free,” sounding stellar, though a murmur of anticipation passed over the audience when he began “I Have Been Floated.” Why? Because the singalong chorus would feature the entire cast, including Jeff Mangum. Large swaths of the audience were anxiously awaiting Jeff’s appearance; in some quarters, obnoxiously so. That Jeff has been travelling with the Holiday Surprise Tour for the last couple of stops has been a very poorly-kept secret, and it had the unfortunate effect of drawing in large numbers of people with little to no appreciation for the other bands represented. (Someone in front of me had to actually ask his friend who Robert Schneider was.) Still, I shouldn’t make this out to be so terribly distracting: there were also great big swaths of genuine Elephant 6 fans, and God bless those who shouted out requests for songs like “Glue” and the obscure “The Pressure.” Those who had never heard the Music Tapes before–not such an unusual thing, since Julian just released his first album in nine years–were very visibly won over by Static the television (singing “The Television Tells Us”) and especially the riveting performances by Julian on his saw, with the heartbreaking “Songs for Oceans Falling” and “Manifest Destiny.” But first I should mention that the break between Sides A and B was filled by a filmstrip by the multi-talented, and erstwhile Music Tape, Brian Dewan, a tongue-in-cheek treatise on “innovation” that deadpan-parodies the filmstrips you were forced to watch in elementary school. (Well, if you’re of a certain age, I suppose.) Apparently Dewan sent along a number of these filmstrips for the Holiday Surprise tour, and they’ve picked a different one to show each evening. I hope these too get released on the Major Organ DVD (and some live footage, please–just throwing out some suggestions). In addition to The Music Tapes and The Apples in Stereo, Side B featured almost all of the 63 Crayons performing a blistering take on the atheistic ballad “Devils,” from their recent (and highly recommended) Spoils for Survivors. I’d have welcomed more Charlie Johnston-led performances, but that was it for the evening, and they made the most of it. Nana Grizol received a lot more airtime, expanding their fanbase with equally enthusiastic, winning, and considerably sweatier performances from Theo Hilton, who perhaps looked the youngest member of the onstage ensemble that evening–though the positively waifish Nesey Gallons (who, unfortunately, did not sing once) rivals him in that department. Thax Douglas, “poet laureate of indie rock,” presented a poem called “Elephant 6.” (He has previously composed poems for Olivia Tremor Control, of Montreal, and The Apples in Stereo, which is why I tend to think he was kidding when he said he hoped “Jeff Mangrum” would come out and sing.) The formal ending to the show came with a reprise of Major Organ and the Adding Machine, paper masks and all, singing “Life Form.” Yes, fucking “Life Form!”
Quickly the encore began, Side C, which then stretched for a really long time while the ensemble seemed to figure out what they wanted to play. (Again, my deepest thanks to whoever requested “Glue.”) Around 1 in the morning, all gathered onstage to sing Circulatory System’s “Forever,” with Jeff Mangum encouraging those in the audience to sing along; and while the audience continued the single verse–”We will live forever and you know it’s true; know it’s true,” then fading as perfectly as if someone had slowly turned down the volume dial–Jeff and Julian stepped into the audience to perform “Engine” to an electric silence. I was probably five feet away, but still couldn’t see a thing but the backs of those in front of me, so I closed my eyes and listened to my favorite Neutral Milk Hotel piece, Jeff’s “children’s song,” and one that I was beginning to think I’d never hear live. The voice and the saw were crisp and clear and beautiful, and when it was all over, the earth-shaking applause saw the last members of the Elephant 6 Orchestra retreating backstage while the house lights came up.
I only had a two-and-a-half hour drive to see this show. Others flew or drove in from much further quarters, taking great pains and expense to catch this once-in-a-lifetime tour. I got to meet a few of you, and my unscientific polling concludes that everyone emerged not just content but euphorically happy. It was Elephant 6. It was Athens in Chicago. It was good cheer. A mysterious present was even given out, to the fellow who figured out that Julian was thinking of an elk. It was Christmas in October.
As Julian told me after the show, “There will be more. Something’s happening.”
Videos by Daniella Maria:
I can’t believe it, but I actually caught a cold from the Elephant 6 Orchestra (I blame Nesey Gallons, who looked particularly under the weather when I said hi). But regardless, I’m about to hit the road to see Dressy Bessy in Minneapolis and some other things for the weekend, so here are a few items of interest before I leave:
For a long while, The Apples in Stereo’s Robert Schneider has been talking about making a children’s album, perhaps inspired by his success writing “Signal in the Sky” for the Powerpuff Girls soundtrack Heroes & Villains. (He also wrote another children’s song, “If You Want to Wear a Hat,” which appeared on the “Signal in the Sky” EP, Let’s Go!, and even made a cartoon cameo with his fellow Apples in one of the Powerpuff Girls episodes, “Superfriends,” in 2002.) Initially he started up a 
