It was the end of the free-wheeling setlists from the earlier years. I remember being impressed with how well they transitioned to arenas.
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Released on this day in 1984 in the U.S. It came out on April 9th in the UK.
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From the R.E.M. timeline -
18 April 1989 - Capital Centre, Landover, MD
support: Drivin’ N’ Cryin’
set: Pop Song 89 / Exhuming McCarthy / Welcome To The Occupation / Sitting Still / Turn You Inside-Out / Disturbance At The Heron House / Be All That You Can Be - Orange Crush / Wolves, Lower / Feeling Gravitys Pull / Cuyahoga / We Live As We Dream Alone - World Leader Pretend / Begin The Begin / Pretty Persuasion / Rotary Ten / Go Daniel - Tired Of Singing Trouble - I Believe / Get Up / Auctioneer (Another Engine) / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) (Aborted) / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
encore 1: Stand / These Days / You Are The Everything
encore 2: Finest Worksong / King Of Birds - Letter Never Sent / Swan Swan H / Life And How To Live It
encore 3: Harpers / Summertime / Crazy / Perfect Circle / After Hours
Notes: Michael held up a chart before they began ‘Perfect Circle’ and claimed it was the 36th time they’d played it in their “illustrious career”. Also, he quit in the middle of ‘It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’ and said he’d forgotten the words after which the band started the song over.
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From the R.E.M. timeline -
22 April 1990 - Earth Day Rally, Earth Day, West Lawn, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
other acts performing: The Itals, John Denver, Bruce Hornsby & Branford Marsalis, 10,000 Maniacs, Indigo Girls, Robyn Hitchcock, Boogie Down Productions, LL Cool J, Billy Bragg, Billy Bee
sets:
The Itals: What An Agony / Speech / Sing Farewell
John Denver: Rocky Mountain High / The Flower That Shattered The Stone
Bruce Hornsby & Branford Marsalis: Barren Ground / Look Out My Window / Some Other Time / The Way It Is
10,000 Maniacs: What’s The Matter, Here? / Dustbowl / A Campfire Song (w/ Michael Stipe)
John Denver: Raven’s Child
Indigo Girls: Closer To Fine / World Falls / Get Together (w /Stipe, Natalie Merchant & Woody Harrelson) / Hey You (w/ Harrelson)
Robyn Hitchcock: Airscape
Boogie Down Productions: Edutainment
LL Cool J: Jingling Baby
Billy Bragg: Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards / The Internationale / North Sea Bubble (w/ Wiggy) / Disturbance At The Heron House (w/ Stipe)
Billy Bee: Re-Re-Recycle
Notes: Earth Day 1990 Rally. The stage was situated on the steps overlooking the United States Capitol’s West Lawn. The rally featured many speeches by people involved in environmental causes, along with celebrities speaking - Kevin Bacon & Kyra Sedwick, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Woody Harrelson, John Ritter & lead by Tom Cruise. There were a number of live performances in amongst the speeches, here Michael Stipe joined 10,000 Maniacs on vocals on ‘A Campfire Song’, Indigo Girls on ‘Get Together’ & Billy Bragg on ‘Disturbance At The Heron House’. There was between 350,000-500,000 present at the rally.
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April 28th, 1991.
Mountain Stage, Capitol Plaza Music Hall, West Virginia
A big band comes to a small town.
Setlist here.
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I distinctly remember recording this on this day back in 1991 off of our local NPR affiliate. However, after I’d filled up side one of the tape, I felt ok to start side 2 and leave my cassette recorder unattended so I could go hang out with my friends. Upon my return, I discovered the signal had drifted about halfway through leaving me with nothing but static during the second half of the tape. I’m glad R.E.M. saw fit to include it as part of the 25th anniversary release of Out of Time in 2016.
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From the R.E.M. Timeline -
29 April 2001 - South Africa House, South African High Commission, Trafalgar Square, London, England
Other acts performing: Beverley Knight & Mandoza, Lisa Roxanne, Atomic Kitten, Dave Stewart & Friends, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Hugh Masekela, Baaba Maal, Mel B, The Corrs
set: The Great Beyond / Imitation Of Life / The Lifting / Walk Unafraid / She Just Wants To Be / Losing My Religion / Man On The Moon
Notes: Benefit concert celebrating the 7th anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections following the fall of apartheid, & to honour Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mendela spoke at the event alongside Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister. The concert benefited the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund & the Prince’s Trust.
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From the R.E.M. Timeline -
30 April 1989 - Orlando Arena, Orlando, FL
support: Drivin’ N’ Cryin’
set: Pop Song 89 / Exhuming McCarthy / Welcome To The Occupation / Disturbance At The Heron House / Turn You Inside-Out / Cuyahoga / Be All That You Can Be - Orange Crush / Driver 8 / Feeling Gravitys Pull / Sitting Still / We Live As We Dream, Alone - World Leader Pretend / Begin The Begin / Pretty Persuasion / Skin Tight / Future 40’s (String Of Pearls) - I Believe / Get Up / Auctioneer (Another Engine) / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
encore 1: Stand / These Days / You Are The Everything
encore 2: Finest Worksong / King Of Birds - Letter Never Sent / See No Evil
encore 3: Harpers / Summertime / Crazy / Perfect Circle / After Hours
notes: Tracks were mixed from this and the 29 April 1989 performance for the Westwood One Radio show. The majority of the radio show tracks were taken from the Miami show. This is the most widely bootlegged R.E.M. show, and the compilation of the two shows can be found on many bootlegs, including “It’s The End Of The World . . . As We Know It!!”.
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From the R.E.M. Timeline -
2 May 2001 - ‘MTV Sonic’, Spazio Antologico Studio 76, Milan, Italy
Part 1: Imitation Of Life / The Great Beyond / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) / Daysleeper / I’ve Been High / Electrolite / The Lifting / At My Most Beautiful / I’ll Take The Rain
Part 2: The One I Love / She Just Wants To Be / Walk Unafraid / Losing My Religion / Man On The Moon
Part 3: All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) / So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Notes: Television performance for MTV Italy. First performance of ‘I’ll Take The Rain’. ‘All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star)’ was played twice because of technical difficulties.
Review
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From the R.E.M. Timeline -
12 May 2001 - Kolner Dom, Roncalliplatz, Cologne, Germany
support: Seeed
soundcheck: Superman (Mills vocal) / I’ll Take The Rain (Instrumental) / Pop Song 89 / Daysleeper / At My Most Beautiful / The Great Beyond (aborted)
set: The Great Beyond / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) / Cuyahoga / Electrolite / I’ve Been High / Daysleeper / The Lifting / Find The River / Imitation Of Life / I’ll Take The Rain / At My Most Beautiful / The One I Love / She Just Wants To Be / Walk Unafraid / Losing My Religion / Man On The Moon
encore: So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
notes: Free outdoor concert broadcast live on MTV Europe and on the internet.
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Reveal was released on this day in 2001 in North America and everywhere outside of North America the day before.
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“So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)” was released as the first single from Reckoning on this day in 1984. The video, directed by Howard Libov, was filmed at Reflection Sound Studio in Charlotte, N.C. during the recording of the album.
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From May 15th, 2001 on the Late Show with David Letterman promoting the release of Reveal in the U.S.
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From the R.E.M. Timeline -
17 May 2001 - Corner Of Yonge And Dundas Streets, Toronto, Canada
set: Imitation Of Life / The Great Beyond / Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (snippet sung a capella by Stipe) / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) / I’ve Been High / The Lifting / I’ll Take The Rain / At My Most Beautiful / The One I Love / She Just Wants To Be / Walk Unafraid / Losing My Religion / Man On The Moon
encore: So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
notes: Free outdoor concert in downtown Toronto.
review
On this day in 2001, the band performed in the Spielberg Gallery of the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. The show was for fan club members. The first set was recorded for 99x in Atlanta; the second for Y100 in Philadelphia.
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From R.E.M. On this Day on Twitter:
On this day in 1988, the band began recording Green, their sixth album, at Ardent Studios in Memphis. “The band rented a big white mansion on Peabody and everyone stayed there - except Michael, who stayed in the little carriage house behind it with his dog.” - Tom Laune, engineer
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From the R.E.M. Timeline, on this day 30th May -
1980 - 40 Watt Club East, Athens, GA
support: The Teeveez
set included: Baby I / (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 / Schéhérazade / Lisa Says / Mystery To Me / Chappaquiddick / All The Right Friends / A Girl Like You / Dangerous Times / Mediocrity / Shakin’ All Over / I’ve Got A Charm / Body Count / Different Girl
The earliest bootleg recording in R.E.M.'s history, less than two months after their first ever performance.
Click here for the audio archive of that recording.
Several audio recordings of this show also on youtube. Here is part one -
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On this day 31st May , In 1982, I.R.S. Records announce that they have signed R.E.M.
Read the I.R.S. press release here.
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On this day 3 June
From the R.E.M. timeline -
2005 - Centerstage, Rock am Ring, Nürburgring Racetrack, Nürburg, Germany
Other acts performing: Mardo, World Leader Pretend, Mando Diao, Weezer, Maroon 5, Incubus, Green Day
Set: I Took Your Name / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / Bad Day / Drive / The Outsiders / Leaving New York / Leave / Me In Honey / Wanderlust / Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (snippet) / Everybody Hurts / Electron Blue / Electrolite / Orange Crush / The One I Love / Walk Unafraid / Losing My Religion / Imitation Of Life / The Great Beyond / Animal / I’m Gonna DJ / Man On The Moon
notes: There was no encore break due to torrential rain meaning the band wanted to play through. Michael said the band had never played on stage so wet before. This show was filmed for German TV show ‘Rockpalast’ by WDR.
On this day 6 June
From the R.E.M. Timeline-
1980 - Wuxtry Records, Decatur, GA
tracks included: Dangerous Times / Narrator
notes: A pre-show practice session, recorded by video camera with the intention to produce a promotional clip for getting further bookings, which was never pursued.
Set List from Setlistfm
All the Right Friends
