Michael Stipe made a surprise appearance at a concert this past weekend, where he performed two beloved R.E.M songs for the first time in nearly two decades.
As reported by Rolling Stone, the US songwriter joined Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy at Brooklyn Steel during their R.E.M tribute tour where he surprised fans with performances of “These Days” and “The Great Beyond”. Saturday’s appearance marked the first time since 2008 that Stipe had performed either track live.
Check out the footage below.
Shannon and Narducy have been touring their R.E.M. tribute act for several years, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band’s 1986 album Life’s Rich Pageant. The duo’s dedication to honouring R.E.M.’s catalogue has attracted genuine support from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees themselves, with various band members making guest appearances throughout their shows.
Stipe has previously joined Shannon and Narducy for performances of “Pretty Persuasion” at shows in Athens, Georgia and Brooklyn last year.
The band also returned to the stage together in 2024 at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, where they played a stripped-back version of “Losing My Religion”.
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Despite these periodic collaborations, R.E.M. remains steadfast in their decision to avoid a full reunion. Guitarist Peter Buck explained the band’s position after the Songwriters Hall Of Fame show, stating they disbanded in 2011 because “there wasn’t anything we could agree on really, musically: what kind of music, how to record it, are we gonna go on tour. We could barely agree on where to go to dinner.”
Stipe added at the time:“We’re also here to tell the tale and we’re sitting at the same table together with deep admiration and lifelong friendship. A lot of people that do this can’t claim that.”
