here we are
R.E.M. reunites again at the 40 Watt in Athens—twice
So I didn’t exactly plan to write a newsletter only when R.E.M. does something seismic (and I swear, I have like a dozen drafts of essays in half-formed shape and will finish at least a few soon) but as “Second Guessing” goes: Here we are.
On Thursday, February 27, at the 40 Watt in Athens, the four members of R.E.M.—Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe (or Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe for the old-schoolers)—reunited for the second time in a year. This time, they were part of a rollicking performance of Reckoning’s “Pretty Persuasion” during a sold-out show by Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy and their band—which includes drummer Jon Wurster, bassist John Stirratt, guitarist Dag Juhlin, and pianist Vijay Tellis-Nayak—performing Fables of the Reconstruction.
I’m pretty crushed I can’t make this tour; the remaining dates just don’t align with a road trip. I’m a huge fan of Fables of the Reconstruction, a polarizing album in the R.E.M. catalog. (I appreciate the unsettled, searching, murky vibe of the LP; many others do not. Here is my essay about why I love it.) But I also have enormous respect for everyone in the Shannon/Narducy band, both as musicians and people. Among other things, the tour’s gorgeous poster benefits Abortion Access Front, a gesture of allyship I appreciate immensely.
Thanks to the magic of the internet, I have seen the tour on YouTube, as a fan was nice enough to film one of these Shannon/Narducy shows. It’s a pure delight: not a tribute show, but a successful attempt at capturing the heart of R.E.M.’s music.
But back to Athens: I was at the 40 Watt a few years ago for the show celebrating the 40th anniversary of Chronic Town’s release, and Peter Buck and Mike Mills played throughout the night. Unsurprisingly, both had been onstage here and there on Thursday night, as did Bill Berry, who drummed on “Wendell Gee.”
Peter was already onstage, having just done a couple of Velvet Underground covers that R.E.M. also favored alongside Lenny Kaye. But it was far more of a surprise when Michael Stipe materialized next to Shannon, his arms crossed and a smile on his face, apparently ready to take the mic. “And now, at long last, the final member of the quartet joins the stage—and the mystery was complete,” Shannon said grandly, and the band launched into “Pretty Persuasion.”
Every time I watch the video, I smile. “Pretty Persuasion” is one of my R.E.M. all-timers—perhaps the ne plus ultra of R.E.M. jangle rock, all sweet summer vibes and ringing riffs. But it’s also one of Stipe’s first explicitly queer-coded songs, as he noted in 2008: “It’s about growing up queer in the weird ’80s, but kind of before AIDS hysteria really set in bigtime.” In a year rife with horrific, stomach-churning LGBTQ+ persecution and legislation, it was significant that Stipe chose to sing “Pretty Persuasion” of all songs. Call it a firm, not-so-tacit condemnation of such narrow-minded hate, and a reminder that queer people are here and not going anywhere.
As the song began, Stipe was clearly working out in real time how his voice intersected with Shannon’s voice. By the pre-chorus, things had started to click. Shannon sang, “Cannot shuffle in this heat/It's all wrong” and then pointed to Stipe, who hopped in with the next line, his voice unbothered by time. The pair sang the chorus together, their voices melding perfectly.
As the second verse began, Mike Mills bounded onstage, reaching the mic just in time to start those golden backing vocals. Here’s where the energy shifted and magic really started to happen: Shannon backed up every so slightly, ensuring that Stipe and Mills were at the front singing together, as Buck nonchalantly played his usual chiming guitars behind them.
Stipe then moved his mic stand closer to the front of the stage—and the multi-part harmonies began to shine. The Mike-Michael vocal combination always made R.E.M. special, and “Pretty Persuasion” this night was no different: Mills’ harmonies and counter-melodies weaved through the lead vocals as nimble as needlepoint, adding a yearning touch to the song.
And then finally, casually and with zero fanfare, Bill Berry stepped onstage, grabbed a tambourine and started adding some percussive texture. He was so low-key that it took a bit before Stipe turned around and saw him. But when he saw Bill, his face lit up with a huge smile and a switch turned on. As the bridge came to an end, Stipe then belted out wordless harmonies, pounding his chest with his fist, the R.E.M. swagger resurfacing.
Poignantly, Stipe then went back and put his arm around Bill, guiding him to the front, so they were both in the spotlight. And this is the moment in the song where I get goose bumps, tears, the whole nine yards: R.E.M. is onstage, their magical and indefinable roaring R.E.M. chemistry doing their thing, alongside a group of musicians carrying on the band’s mighty legacy with deep reverence. It’s not a passing of the torch—but a celebration of decades of friendship, an unbeatable creative partnership, and hundreds of poignant songs.
With everyone now onstage, the third verse was loud, strong, and triumphant catharsis. The gravity and significance of the reunion sunk in, as everyone gave their all like it was a show encore. At one point, Stipe paused to take it all in, before returning to the mic to yell: “It’s all wrong! All wrong!” as the tune began to wind down.
I wasn’t even there, simply following along at home, and the emotional power of the song and this moment bowled me over. It’s an understatement to say I feel unsteady, destabilized and often terrified about what’s going on in the U.S. right now. (I actually felt viscerally uncomfortable throwing on Document a few weeks ago, as whoo-boy did “Exhuming McCarthy” feel relevant.) But this brief reunion of a band I love so much brought me comfort and a glimmer of hope, just like they’ve done so often in my life.
As I finished writing this newsletter, my spies in Athens told me R.E.M. reunited again on Friday night for “Pretty Persuasion.” And I’ll be damned if this take wasn’t better than last night’s version. “You take lead?” Shannon asked Stipe after a bit of conversation. And take lead he did—making goofy gestures, balancing himself while singing by putting his left leg on the monitors, pointing at the crowd, feeling the lyrics. Bill Berry was also at the forefront, playing tambourine around Peter and Michael.
On the bridge—an accelerated musical burst that surges with desire—the years melted away. Stipe leapt to the center of the stage, hapless microphone stand along for the ride. He wailed the lyrics passionately (“In the light, I saw/Quite a scene in there”) before letting out a guttural screams and pounding his chest with his left hand. And then he proceeded to take the song home, his lead singer confidence storming forward. It was, quite frankly, astounding—and everyone onstage soaked up the joy and community.
We are hope despite the times.
After the Thursday night performance, many people called for R.E.M. to reunite and do actual shows. Understandably, the band members are deeply proud of their legacy. After all, it’s why they support (and show up to) things like the Narducy and Shannon tour and happily play their songs when the mood strikes. But it’s also why they don’t reunite permanently: The band members value what they created together too much to diminish it with, say, an enormodome tour. Instead, they let the music do the talking and provide the solace in darkness—and maybe get the band together every once in awhile when the moment is right.
After all, as Michael used to say: We’re R.E.M., and this is what we do.
It was incredible. I'll be floating on the high from these two shows for a while. Absolutely a welcome distraction in these times. I'm going to all 20 shows, btw. Very happy my sabbatical coincided with this tour and I was able to incorporate it into my projects.
Thank you so much for sharing this!