Historic Neutral Milk Hotel Banjo Fetches $3,000, Helps Fund Music Tapes Tent Tour

A banjo that was used during the recording of Neutral Milk Hotel's iconic 1998 album, 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,' has sold via the crowdsourcing site Kickstarter for $3,000. The instrument was one of several rewards available to backers of the Traveling Imaginary, a touring extravaganza to be mounted by the band Music Tapes in a circus tent that will "[transform] spaces into cozy, dreamlike environments for evenings’ worth of music, games, stories, films, and amusements."

Music Tapes mastermind Julian Koster, who played banjo with Neutral Milk Hotel, is taking the Traveling Imaginary on a North American tour in support is the forthcoming Music Tapes album, 'Mary's Voice,' which drops on Sept. 4. Koster and his band launched the Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $5,000 to cover the cost of making and transporting the tent, concert production fees and "a great many exciting new Music Tapes amusements and contraptions envisioned for the show." Sounds magical!

Koster played the historic banjo, which topped a list of rewards available to backers of the Traveling Imaginary, on "Neutral Milk Hotel's 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,' every live show by the Music Tapes until 2009, every live full-band Neutral Milk Hotel show, as well as the Olivia Tremor Control's 'Black Foliage' and Music Tapes' 'For Clouds and Tornadoes,'" reads the item's description. Other rewards include a whole slew of items ranging from Music Tapes recordings and posters to hand-drawn thank you notes, personalized birthday greetings, dinner with the band, one-on-one music lessons and more.

The Kickstarter campaign goal of $5,000 has already been surpassed --more than $9,000 has been raised as of this story going to press -- so expect Music Tapes' the Traveling Imaginary to hit the road some time this fall. In the meantime, backers can still contribute to the cause and receive rewards through the campaign's Sept. 11 end date.

Watch the Music Tapes' Kickstarter Campaign Video for the Traveling Imaginary