Street Tar in Summer

I bought this album during the summer of my Freshman year of college.  The guy at the record store had a very positive guarantee that I was gonna love it.  (Oh sure, I’d heard bits and pieces of it, but yeh, I’m sure I’ll love it.)  It was life changing.  You know, just totally life changing, no big. 

There’s a very small window of time when I was independent and not with Andrew; my Freshman year of college and the first half of my Sophomore year.  That’s it; since then I have been part of a unit.  We now experience music as a couple, which sort of feels different than experiencing music for the first time by yourself.  I don’t know, maybe I’m making that up.  But, this was one of the last albums I fell in love with as a singular person.  We have very different tastes — I grew up listening to Wire, something that not a lot of people do, apparently.  So now, as an adult, I know there is music I can play in the house, and there is music I cannot play in the house. 

Anyway, back to Neutral Milk Hotel, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a goddamn perfect record.  The last time I heard of Jeff Mangum touring was in 2001. And now, he’s set to play Chicago in February, 2012.  I’m bracing myself.  I’m bracing myself for not getting tickets (Pavement). For going and it being ok (Silver Jews). For not expecting much and it being fantastic (Ratatat). For expecting everything and still being awed (Radiohead). But really, I’m bracing myself for this song.  It is my favorite song. 

UPDATE:
Andrew was perched at his computer at work with a five second auto-refresh and he said the tickets never went up for sale.  It didn’t load until 12:05 and then by then it was sold out.  Two hours later, I called and asked if going to Milwaukee was possible. Pabst Theater, row T.  My 11/11/11 11:11 wish was Jeff Mangum tickets.