The great REM performed to a very sweaty audience at Hardee's / Alltell/ Globo-Chem / Clear Channel / Live Nation Pavillion at Walnut Creek last evening with support from The National and Modest Mouse.
First things first: Johnny Marr from the Smiths is now part of Modest Mouse, so that was an added pleasure for me. Mouse was great. Those dudes have been putting out good music for quite some time achieving commercial success with the hit "Float On" which they didn't play, which was nice. I think that song attracted the 'tween scene to their shows in its heyday.
REM is a jewel in the crown of music from the south. A lot of us grew up listening to everything they did as it unfolded on the fledgling MTV. Some of us were old enough to be cool enough to be actively listening in the 80's. Not me. REM was just always playing somewhere, somehow. I distinctly remember watching the video for "The One I Love" alone in the living room while playing with the Orko toy from my He-Man action figure toy set (Castle Gray-Skull included). I also remember wanting to be the kid in the "End of the World as we Know it Video". It was later that REM started to really sink in. Green, Document, Out of Time, and Automatic for the People became crucial and memorized. Needless to say, REM became part of who I am somewhere along the line. Even while fumbling through high school jamming out to phish and yes, panic (and other things) - REM was a mainstay. I hung in there all the way through Monster and UP, after drummer Bill Berry left the band. I kinda quit paying attention after that.
That being said, the show last night was important to me. But enough about me.
Stipe, Mills, Buck, and the rest of the touring band blew it up. Not a dull moment the entire time. The stage setup and lights were nothing short of phenomenal. As far as energy goes, they might as well have been on stage at the 40 Watt, playing for rent money. Stipe gave a sincere thanks to the area for embracing them back in the day. (If memory serves, a weekly called The Spectator may have given them some good press in the beginning). They even brought out old producers Mitch Easter and Don Dixon (Arrogance) for a moving rendition of "sitting still".
I knew Stipe was going to get his lefty agenda out there, and he did. It's fine. I just don't like mixing good music with politics. That's why I can't stand Wayne Coyne. More power to ya, Mr. Stipe - you've earned it. I'll go pee while you talk about how shitty the current administration is and all that stuff I like to forget about when I go see one my favorite bands.
Highlights for me : "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?", "Seven Chinese Brothers", "Find the River", "Fall on Me", "Sitting Still" , "Man on the Moon".
Oh, and "Orange Crush" was Un-fucking-beleivable.
set: Harborcoat / Living Well Is The Best Revenge / Bad Day / What's The Frequency, Kenneth? / 1,000,000 / Man-Sized Wreath / Welcome To The Occupation / Accelerate / Seven Chinese Brothers / Hollow Man / Imitation Of Life / Houston / Electrolite / Walk Unafraid / The One I Love / Final Straw / Find The River / Let Me In / Horse To Water / Auctioneer (Another Engine) / Orange Crush / I'm Gonna DJ
encore: Supernatural Superserious / Losing My Religion / Pretty Persuasion / Fall On Me / Sitting Still / Man On The Moon
notes: Johnny Marr guests on Fall On Me. Mitch Easter and Don Dixon guests on Sitting Still
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