If only.

I saw NMH a few times live. They're not that good. They were certainly not as good as Olivia Tremor Control, who can be ok live.

The weirdest time was when they hopped on a bill as openers for Brainiac and Trans Am in 1996 or so.. it was just Jeff and two other guys jumping up and down playing for 20 minutes They Might Be Giants style.

I wouldn't say they were "not that good". I'd say they were extremely variable. I saw them here at the Backstage, and they were pretty good, if tired; I saw them in New York several months before and they were INCREDIBLE. Chaotic and ecstatic and joyful, with not too much understanding of what "playing songs live in a club with a band" means, but a perfectly harmonious ability to achieve something more awesome than that pedestrian understanding. Seriously, they were like Sun Ra or something. And yet still a pop band at the core.

I don't care what folks say, this is my dream too!

Fnarf, you saw Neutral Milk Hotel: you are now "cool with me".

Olivia Tremor Control >>>> Neutral Milk Hotel: more psychedelic, more adventurous, catchier songs (when they're in pop mode), WAY less annoying vocalist.

I saw them play and I thought they were quite good and a lot of fun. It was at the Florida Popfest in 98 with NMH headlining one night and Mountain Goats the other. Plus Of Montreal, Silver Apples, Elf Power and the test of the Elephant Six and Kindercore crowd.

I guess NMH was okay but that is easily the worst name for a musical act ever. Even Windsor For the Derby is a good name in comparison.