R.E.M.’s four founding members appeared onstage together for the first time in 17 years on Wednesday, February 8, at a tribute show held at the 40 Watt Club in the band’s hometown of Athens, Georgia. The reunion took place during the Athens stop of actor/singer Michael Shannon’s and Superchunk member Jason Narducy’s 2024 tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of R.E.M.’s 1983 debut album Murmur.
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According to a post on R.E.M.’s social media pages, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry joined Shannon, Narducy and their group at different times to play various songs during the set. Then, at the end of the show, R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe hit the stage with all of his former bandmates, although he did not perform.
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Jon Wurster, a former member of Superchunk who plays drums in Shannon and Narducy’s backing band, posted a photo of R.E.M.’s four members onstage together at the show.
Stereogum reports that Stipe addressed the crowd while onstage and said, “Speaking on behalf of Bill and Mike and Peter, we are so f—ing thrilled to be here tonight.”
Details About the Concert
A fan-shot video clip from the concert shows that Berry played piano while Buck played guitar during a version of “Perfect Circle.”
A variety of photos from the concert also were posted on R.E.M.’s socials. The images included photos of the set list, revealing that Shannon, Narducy, and company performed both Murmur and R.E.M.’s 1982 debut EP Chronic Town in order. The show also included select other R.E.M. songs, as well as The Velvet Underground’s “There She Goes Again,” which R.E.M. frequently covered during its early years.
Previous R.E.M. Reunions
The last time all four R.E.M. appeared onstage together was when the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. R.E.M. was still together at that time, although Berry had left the band in 1997.
In 2022, Stipe, Buck, Mills, and Berry all attended an all-star tribute to the Chronic Town EP that also was held at the 40 Watt Club. However, only Buck and Mills hit the stage during that concert.
About Shannon and Narducy’s Murmur Tribute Tour
Shannon and Narducy launched their Murmur tribute tour on February 4 in Minneapolis. The trek continues tonight, February 9, in Carboro, North Carolina, and winds down with a February 14 show in Brooklyn, New York. Check out if they are coming to a stage near you.
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