Elliott Smith & Friends ("backstage" video)

[@JamesWilliamMarsh]

I showed a friend Elliott Smith once and he said "The music is alright but I wish he had a better voice". I never bothered showing anyone Elliott again. His music is almost too personal for some people to understand, but once you do get it, it's like you understand and feel the emotion behind every word he says. Favorite singer/songwriter of all time.

[@BigBoysSocks00]

Those folks don't know shit. Hug him close to your chest like I do each listen,

[@MrZapataJones]

I showed him to my dad and the one comment he made is how much he liked his voice lol.

[@jala1081]

i was told that too, "i dont like his voice", when i recommended his music to a person. I dont really judge voices. As long as you can hit the notes you want to hit im good.

[@MrZapataJones]

@@jala1081 he has a soft unique voice one of my favourite.

[@stevepawlenko2814]

I felt like I didn't like his voice when I first heard his music but it grew on me.

[@lvacqua]

I've always felt like I'm part of a tiny, tiny group of Elliott fans, and like no one else ever has or ever will get it. There is a moment when you just *feel* it, and you never go back. I got into Elliott song by song, album by album, line by line and chord by chord. I don't know how to introduce anyone to him, because it's something that has to come from within.

[@radioactive_p1ssy.boy.]

Same honestly

[@ajigotto_amygdala]

Yeah

[@keremkutal7693]

Same here

[@onewayave66]

This. Love this. You put it perfectly. The love for his music is beyond words or explaining to others sometimes :)

[@courtneylust]

i’m so happy i found my place here in the little group of elliott fans..i feel like his music finds the people who need it:)

[@straightcashhomey1261]

I met Elliott after a show once in the balcony bar of a small club. It was him, his band and maybe 8 other people in the place. I introduced myself. I also told him I really liked Heatmeiser and he said “I don’t.” He was very polite and extremely shy

[@aaronmyers1982]

I wonder if the reason he said that was because he had personal issues with some of the other members.

[@Chicky1601]

I've never been so in love with someone I'll never get to meet.

[@jozz6665]

Olivia Baker same here 😢

[@jespersahnerpedersen]

"I'm never gonna know you now, but I'm gonna love you anyhow" - Waltz #2

[@deethesimp9169]

me too, girl! 😔💔

[@christinat2047]

I’ve loved him for so long. It’s crazy to think about. Since Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Nine

[@dania4647]

beautiful comment :)

[@なかもりふじ]

Elliott was CRAZY cute.

[@mimickick]

God, this video totally validates the romantic fantasy of indie rock touring that I dreamed about growing up in the 90s

[@Mandeepd13]

Elliot Smith is a feeling which cannot be described but just felt

[@Lcacique]

As someone who spent time around Elliot, playing shows in pdx, common friends, etc. I want to let all of you know that this footage DOES capture a side of Elliot that was far from uncommon. He was a human with a variety of emotions. The idiots that think he was just a depressed artist are buying into a myth and selling him short!

[@leelomba]

If they're idiots, don't worry about it. They already have their just desserts. You can just roll past it and leave them to their own crap, no? No need for the animosity.

[@blackpilledchad1927]

You never know. There are guys that laugh and have a good time around friends and ppl but when they're alone, they're completely alone

[@starshinegould]

do you have any idea if the original uncut footage exists somewhere / who might have it?

[@JunkBondTrader]

Totally agreed... With all my other favourite bands, I get this possessive feeling and always want to feel like "Im their biggest fan, no one gets em like I do!". But for some reason, with Elliott, I feel nothing like that towards other fans. He's the one artist I don't mind knowing many of his other fans understand him the way I do. It's like, when Elliott fans, they are friends automatically. You never see arguments or stupid bullshit on any of his videos. Very rare on KZbin.

[@iamcyber]

wow 9yrs on and you still love elliott

[@MatthewAndThings]

haha, I love how he just kinda appears at the end in such contrast to the people around him, like a breath of fresh air.

[@soysaucehairdye7869]

MatthewAndThings I like to think he was having the John Doe inner dialogue from Se7en about how he wanted to puke due to them sickening him.

[@KittenFlower66]

Fucking Elliott, man. I know exactly what he's thinking with the look on his face at the end. Wish I could've met him.

[@free_melie]

HAAAAHAHA Elliott's face at the end of this video is priceless!! Love that man.

[@nicholasfaith8999]

I was laughing soooo hard

[@free_melie]

What a beautiful man he was. I miss him so much.

[@Trenzalore-gn6xq]

I love Elliott Smith fans, it’s like we all understand good music and can talk about it.

[@lockedathome2371]

I think last part of the video is showing what kind of a person Elliott was. People being happy and dumb around him, they don't even care about him or know about him, Elliott doesn't involve with it and seems like doesn't want to but still tries to be in the scene and wandering around them. That last part of the video somewhat really stays in my mind deeply. It's just so Elliott.

[@MatthewMcRowan]

What it was pure comedy he did it on purpose so the scene is awkward and it was

[@nimitz1739]

@@MatthewMcRowan That actually makes sense. Because he’s acting like he’s annoyed by them while at the same time coming up to the group. I’d like to think he was serious. Nothing wrong with them having a good time and living it up.

[@AubreyGrahamMaster]

Yeah I feel that way about him and Nick Drake who I love equally. Always cool to wear one of their t-shirts and to have some random stranger come up to me and talk about their favorite songs which is very rare since so few people know about them. Honestly, I don't hate a single Elliott Smith album and as years go by I am loving Figure 8 which took the longest time to grow on me.

[@juliaskagfjord6207]

Its funny because I never knew he suffered from depression, he was just an artist I had on my ipod for the last 11 years, hadn't looked into it. And the dichotomy is I found his music soothing and uplifting, his voice has an uplifting quality to it, and within the melodies he wrote. Beautiful sounds! RIP

[@scruffyp9480]

Totally. His music is like a friend to comfort you when you feel sad.

[@Schodboyblves]

you never once payed attention to his lyrics in the past 11 years? he wrote a lot about depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction

[@benjaminposer7596]

Every Sony was about a journey through torment to oblivion.

[@AaronSmith_avocadosmith]

I miss that guy, and I miss that era.

[@GixxerRider1991]

I'm glad I got to share the same planet as him for 12 years.

[@raineejune3035]

lucky, i only got 8 months

[@CryingCupcake]

I only got 3 years! Damnit...

[@mikogale]

i only got 1.5 years but i'm equally glad.. i didn't even know him back then (obviously) but i still miss him

[@fredjohnston1701]

I got a single month to be on the same planet, and I only discovered him about a year ago. Already one of, if not my favorite artists. RIP.

[@kiwi-m2t]

never shared the same planet with him, i love him wherever he is.

[@EuphoniaPooch]

Possibly the only video on youtube of him noodling on guitar. I would love to hear more of his brain in motion on guitar like that. Even in that tiny clip, there were so many cool ideas and changes

[@dearsomeone]

thanks so much for sharing.

[@mark1800]

This exact scenario came up with my roommate a couple nights ago! He is a total enigma, you will either hear him and pursue his whole catalog, or you'll be touched and move on... But I've yet to meet anyone who can dislike his stuff.

[@EuphoniaPooch]

Hearing him just jamming a little bit is totally priceless

[@ChronicActor]

When Elliott just sort of gets into the frame with the Uhaul truck and North Carolinians, "That's why" sprung to mind from his track "Coast to Coast". In the final couple seconds of the song you'll hear him say it. This video reminds me of what he maybe thinking at that moment. Anyway, thanks for sharing this video!

[@JacksonDuncanDesigns]

ChronicActor interesting thought :) I remember that part from Coast to Coast, always stuck out to me because his voice at that part sounded so wavery and frail, in contrast to the rest of the song

[@brandanwalker8692]

I kid you not that's the very first thing that popped in my head

[@CaityDoll222]

rest in peace you beautiful, beautiful soul.

[@VincentPrice111]

@Amulius He once said in response to how to be a song writer that "I think it's pretty easy if you just relax and stop thinking about what you think other people want to hear" and I think that's a testament to that.

[@ChadKouse]

really hard to believe this was 13 years ago. I saw a show in columbus from this tour. Perfect show -- elliott hitting his stride.

[@haywoodjblome4768]

20 now

[@Helsinki40268]

23 years!

[@instantlarry22]

24

[@ingramashley63]

hahahaha his face at the end

[@Tayl0NP]

Seeing this brings an innate smile to my face. (:D Seeing Elliott in his genuine form is so rare, I'm just glad that someone like you cared enough to share it with us. oh yeah...This probably sounds weird, but is there a full-length version of this with dialogue?

[@Lcacique]

It is a pleasure. The of my closest friends who I played with in a band during the period of this video also played in one of the bands that was on the tour. I would not consider Elliot a friend, but an aquaintance. Portland is not big, so our circles overlapped. Nevertheless, I simply grow tired of people judging him from the lyrics of his songs w/o ever having been around him. I just grow tired of people casting him as a one dimensional person: SAD.

[@mattmattga]

Do you know who might have filmed this footage?

[@conneradams]

R.I.P. Elliott. I love this video so much. Thanks for uploading it.

[@mojopin1122]

To be honest, his music is beautiful. But, he reminds me of the darkness that is nipping at my feet. He was very human. A true artist. Some people would say he left us too soon, maybe not. Sometimes I'm thankful he stayed as long as he did. God bless to a beautiful soul that exists in all of us.

[@whitestripebuzz]

Your not alone friend. I got out of a mental hospital before christmas. Elliotts music makes things better. =)

[@Drpsal]

Thank you for this video. Thank you very much. I very like him. Great songwriter, great performer. He brings me joy.

[@TaylorGillespie]

Oh my God, this made me so happy. The shots of the stage towards the end are of Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte, NC. I hate Tremont with every fiber of my being; but just seeing it associated with Elliott is amazing.

[@self1sworld]

i just love this video

[@ianbrowning6977]

growing up in NC... Elliott's expression at the end says it all

[@AubreyGrahamMaster]

I need to check out those unreleased songs you mentioned. I would probably say my favorite Elliott Smith album is his self-titled (St. Ides Heaven is my favorite Smith song) and then From the Basement on the Hill. From the Basement on Hill just has so many deep existentialist lyrics that I constantly go back to it. I also like New Moon, because of its bareness and "New Disaster" is probably my second favorite Smith song.

[@candacewinfrey]

I miss him so much.

[@oli4735]

Isn't time strange - Elliot Smith, just standing there at some garage in America. If we could go back in time, I wonder how many fans would crowd around there just to see him.

[@seee1402]

He was making skits and videos how cuuute ❤️

[@flouresc]

What a lovely video

[@mhouze3]

A future butterfly gonna spend the day higher than high Everybody knows you only live a day but it’s brilliant anyway Independence Day RIP Elliott! We miss you everyday!

[@svartsjokolade]

That is true. I thought that I was the only one that somehow tried to keep his music just for myself and not share it with others that might not understand it.

[@DanRelayer_Ukraine]

I would give half of my soul to see all that footage and footage of concerts, whatever was filmed with the realy sound and not with a studio song overdub...

[@limeginger]

To me his reaction is so amazing and hilarious because it reflects so many things. First you see him trying to get away from his friends goofing on the drunk people, but he can't get by them because a guy is going by with a luggage cart, so he's stuck there. I see his expression being a combination of resignation, mild impatience, bemusement, slight annoyance at the drunk people, also looking at his friend 1/2 seriously like "c'mon man, that's just wrong filming these yahoos - leave em alone"

[@RustinChole]

That's the coolest orange hoodie ever...

[@thecreaturewalks]

Way to go people, Its great to see a little more of the elliott smith we never got to see offstage.

[@shanegarm]

I've been waiting fifteen years to find out what the initial instrumental is. And it's still a mystery. But I still totally remember how enchanted I was with the sound the first time I heard it. So beautiful.

[@pwnytown8418]

Independence day from XO.

[@shanegarm]

@@pwnytown8418 no....the live recording of the two guitars. The very first song.

[@ktothebbc]

I know what you mean! It sounds so familiar, but I have NEVER been able to place it. (It could just be a random riff that just sounded familiar, of course.)

[@bosmicbomb]

wow that is awesome you knew Elliot, as a musician myself he is a great inspiration to me, I can see how Elliot had different emotions, because all great artists see the light and dark side of everything. thanks for the info.

[@christsbassist89]

thanks for posting this =)

[@jamesheath7601]

RIP Elliott ❤️

[@geteheh3h3636]

Es forever brah

[@hserokdivad]

Thanks for posting this. Great stuff. i love how elliott just comes in the frame completely blank with those crazy drunk chicks.

[@kylematthewdiduck]

that last screen shot of him should be an album cover.

[@sro2457]

One of my fave (if not no. 1) ES's tunes in the background. :)

[@cheezzit23]

Thank you.....so much.

[@JoeGa1111]

wow thanks a lot for this

[@kimitrista]

it's just great to see him laugh

[@bonezillion]

Not only that, I think you need to discover yourself before you can truly understand him. I heard about him awhile ago...but I was more into pop-punk bands and didn't really "get" his music. But I grew up and was going through rough times and a few months ago I was listening to "Songs for Silverman" and through "Late", I came back to him. Now I get it...and him. He's completely changed my outlook on life. Definitely wish I could have known him.

[@Lcacique]

Hey...Glad to see you decided to post it!

[@NapalmKid]

shit man, I miss him too. I don't think he was weak, he just didn't have a reason to be strong. RIP Elliott.

[@calvinmontgomery]

my thoughts exactly. he liked to goof around and had a really great sense of humour.

[@rtengenharia7682]

Elliot is alive

[@radioactive_p1ssy.boy.]

Unfortunately he was stabbed twice in the heart

[@rtengenharia7682]

@@radioactive_p1ssy.boy. alive in our heart

[@ipris]

loved it! thanks :)

[@waterloosunsetsfine]

man, we need more of theses videos. =D

[@zwfwrestling]

Man, I would have loved to hear the audio to all of these videos, ESPECIALLY WHERE ELLIOTT LOOKS LIKE HE'S RAPPING LMAO (2:45 - 2:53)

[@radioactive_p1ssy.boy.]

Haha

[@Lcacique]

Joanna Bolme was not playing bass for jr. high on this tour. She had already left the band. Brendan Welsh was playing bass at the time of this tour.Paulie, the drummer, was playing w/ Elliot, jr. high and no.2. Elliot loved both bands, they were some of Portland's best!

[@fertuiee]

4:40 ..thats the best mullet you'll see this week. Mahahaha i love the look of pure distain on Elliott Smith's face hahaha.

[@ombelicodivenere]

Neil Gust at 3:19 emphasizing the end of "Indipendence Day" always makes me laugh!

[@radioactive_p1ssy.boy.]

Haha

[@aaronmyers1982]

I get a kick out of the confused and bewildered expression Elliott gives the camera when he wonders into view during the last clip

[@cmfishburn]

March 21 1999 was my 22 birthday. You only live a day but its briliant anyway.

[@ElstonsGun]

I met Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss after a Quasi concert. Awesome folks.

[@97szig]

March 21st 1999 was my 2nd birthday lol

[@DeathBySitar]

Happy 39th birthday Elliot.

[@jizzy00jarsh]

anyone know the song when theyre on the bus? after idependence day, that ooo la la la la la one

[@Lucas-mv4pm]

The Kinks Picture Book. I definitely think The Kinks are a big Elliott Smith influence and a very underrated band in general.

[@dreadrock696]

hahaha, wow those people at the end of the video had no idea who they where standing right next to. Greatness

[@k_a_y_l_e_e]

you expressed the sentiment perfectly :)

[@maskof]

Song @ 3:38 is Picture Book by The Kinks from 1969. It threw me off for second, I thought it was maybe The Dandy Warhols or something!

[@DarthSarah000]

Happy birthday, Pete.

[@JoHigh]

Love the ending, Elliott was class.

[@TheresNothingToSee123]

0:55 😂 1:03 ❤️

[@seanannerstvisfake]

Song at the beginning, at 0:20? Anyone know?

[@JunkBondTrader]

Not sure. It does sound like an Elliott jam. The background hiss, lo-fi quality, and tinny drums sound super similar to some of his unreleased instrumentals. That's just a guess. But I doubt the makers of the video would have used a small, low quality, short clip if it wasn't Elliott. No idea where they got it though, I'm curious too.

[@eiephants]

That jam at the beginning sounds good, too bad it wasn't recorded.

[@buewgewstmeiers]

at the end.... CLASSIC.

[@lizzzarm]

that made me happy.

[@janderkin]

Sunburst Gibson something at 0:27? Any help here? I have a '62 Melody Maker and so badly want to believe that is what he is playing.

[@Bethann0524]

people who appreciate it.

[@Tayl0NP]

Picture Book by the Kinks! It's from their album "The Village Green Preservation Society" (I think)Either way,you should buy it, and so should I. :)

[@plexusnexus]

yes, its so nice

[@ancook58]

the end is perfect and hilarious :D

[@42pigs]

hahah the ending was hilarious.

[@benmeltzer]

Who's playing rhythm guitar at 2:59?

[@starshinegould]

Hi loveishell7 and everyone else, I'm looking for anyone who would have the original footage used in this video (or footage like it). If you have any leads please let me know. much appreciated

[@siebenny]

i have seen every elliott smith video on youtube :)

[@rugs729]

love the end!

[@stalkandshootoutdoors9587]

I’m so sad I never got too see him play I’d fly anywhere too listen too him hell I’d drive across the counrty

[@roxxma]

That was wicked awesome. Honestly; what a fucking god. I get the feeling that he'd probably hate to hear that, but it's true.

[@betterthanyification]

@ScenesFromPalacio Thanks. :D

[@jeffmmar]

Very interesting stuff

[@Hilaire_Balrog]

I saw him play in Atlanta on March 17 so if the camera date is correct that was about 1 week later and they were in New York State.