When Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy hit Athens, Georgia last year with their tour playing REM‘s debut album, Murmur in full, the four members of REM appeared on stage and sat in on various songs, but never performing all together.
Well, last week, Shannon and Narducy returned to the 40 Watt Club, this time to perform REM’s Fables of the Reconstruction in full, and this time the four members of REM appeared on stage, together, sitting in on their classic song, “Pretty Persuasion.”
Lead singer Michael Stipe shared lead vocals with a clearly surprised Shannon, while drummer Bill Berry and guitarist Peter Buck played along. When bassist Mike Mills took the stage to sing harmonies for the second verse, it was only the second time all four members of the band had played together since their Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2007. (The group performed “Losing My Religion” at their induction to the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame last year.)
The crowd (and the band who were playing with Shannon and Narducy) were all very aware of what they were witnessing and the excitement is wonderfully palpable in the fan shot video below. As the song ended and REM left the stage, Shannon summed it up as much as he could. “Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my fucking God. This is a special place where dreams come true.”
The tour through the US continues until March 14th and then will play 6 shows in the UK in August.
