Video: Jeff Mangum Played At Occupy Wall Street Last Night!

After the huge let down that was the Radiohead hoax, the folks of Occupy Wall Street got a nice little pick-me-up last night in the form of a surprise acoustic performance by none other than Jeff Mangum, formerly of Neutral Milk Hotel. Fresh off a rare appearance at this past weekend’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival, the notoriously reclusive artist headed over to Zucotti Park to lift the protestors’ spirits (and, at some points, their voices) with song.

“Hello, my name is Jeff from Neutral Milk Hotel, and I’m at Occupy Wall Street,” he said into the camera when asked to introduce himself. The footage may have been grainy, but that pleasantly nasal voice was unmistakable as he played cult favorites like “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” and “King Of Carrot Flowers, Part 1.” He also covered “Themselves,” a populist anthem by The Minutemen.

I was somewhat afraid the hippies at OWS would not be hip enough to music from the past decade to know who he was, but a lot of them shouted out requests and sang along. I guess some indie rock fans care about stuff, after all. Who will appear at OWS next?? My money’s on Conor Oberst.