Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry joined the REM cover band by Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy on Thursday (February 27, 2025). Together they intoned “Pretty Persuit” from the “Reckoning” album.
Despite the clip and clear, “never reunion!” Statements of the band, which are repeated over the years, you can still speak very well in the house of REM. Michael Stipe and Mike Mills have already advertised some Reissues of their masterpieces on promotional tour, such as “Out of Time” and “Automatic for the People”. That was also a kind of reunion for Rem.
Songwriters Hall of Fame
There is no shyness on stage either. Before you admitted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in 2004 you gave your first full group interview for almost 30 years. And emphasized again that a reunion was excluded. Because “it would never get as good again” as it was once again. After all, they let themselves be carried out for a performance of “Losing My Religion”.
Last year the actor Michael Shannon (“Man of Steel”) and the indie rocker Jason Narducy went on tour. Every evening they played the 1983 debut “Murmur” from REM in full length. And during this tour they also appeared in the 40 watt club in Athens. The four members of Rem were present to the hometown of Rem. But came separately, not together on the stage to Shannon and Narducy.
Now the duo has a classic of REM, “Fables of the Reconstructation” from 1985. At their show in Portland at the beginning of this week, REM guitarist Peter Buck and the tour member Scott McCaughey joined them. The time had come on Thursday evening. In the 40 watts there was complete remuneration. After all for a song.
During the 32 songs, all four REM members came on stage one after the other. The guitarist of Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye, helped out two cover versions of Velvet Underground, the comedian Dave Hill joined the band at a version of Aerosmith’s “Toys in the Attic” at the end of the appearance.
Michael Stipe and Michael Shannon sang “Pretty Persuasion” together. Bill Berry and Peter Buck were already waiting.
In the middle of the song, Mike Mills then stormed onto the stage to intonate the harmonies. Michael Shannon could hardly believe his luck. Like a fanboy, he announced: “Oh my god. Oh my God! Oh my damned God. This is a special place where dreams come true. ” That was the reunion. If only for a song.