Final live performance

According to journalist Luke Winkie, the release of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea inadvertently coincided with the rise of the Internet. In the late 1990s, music journalism websites like Pitchfork became more prevalent, and online message boards increased in popularity. Winkie believes this period was important to exposing Neutral Milk Hotel to a wider audience, and wrote, “The internet has a one-of-a-kind relationship with Neutral Milk Hotel”. Their newfound high profile had a negative effect on Mangum, and his mental health began to deteriorate. He constantly told his bandmates he wanted to quit, but never explained why. Some journalists have speculated he became tired of touring and constantly explaining his lyrics to fans; Elephant 6 biographer Adam Clair believes he may have been overwhelmed by the way fans viewed his music, and the high expectations placed upon any subsequent recordings. Regardless of the reason, Mangum came to the conclusion that he could not continue performing, and instead wanted to disappear from the public eye. Instead of telling the other band members of his decision, he simply avoided the topic of new music altogether. This led to the unofficial breakup of Neutral Milk Hotel shortly after the tour. The final Neutral Milk Hotel live performance occurred on October 13, 1998, in London .