Concert sold out at Buskirk-Chumley

Singer-songwriter and former Neutral Milk Hotel frontman Jeff Mangum will perform to a sold-out crowd at 7 p.m. today at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

Mangum will be accompanied by Tall Firs and The Briars of North America. One dollar of each ticket sold will go to Children of the Blue Sky, a nonprofit company working to benefit impoverished Mongolian children.

The show is sponsored by Spirit of ‘68 Promotions, a local concert promoter that has brought artists such as Mumford and Sons, The xx, Vampire Weekend and Feist to Bloomington.

Dan Coleman, who works for the promotion company, has been a long-time fan of Mangum’s music after a friend introduced him to Neutral Milk Hotel’s album “On Avery Island.”

“He’s a poignant singer-songwriter,” Coleman said. “His albums spoke to an entire generation of people.”

In addition to being a member of the Neutral Milk Hotel, Mangum was also a co-founder of the Elephant 6 Recording Company. The collective produced independent bands such as Beulah, Elf Power and of Montreal.

Mangum, who hasn’t toured in 15 years, has experienced great success with his recent shows. Many of them have sold out, including a show in Philadelphia that was sold out in seven seconds. The Buskirk-Chumley show was sold out in four hours.

After his show in Bloomington, Mangum will head west to St. Louis to play at Sheldon Concert Hall and later stop in Lawrence, Kan., Oklahoma City and Dallas. His tour ends Feb. 16 with a show in North Adams, Mass.

— Carolyn Crowcroft