Only four times since September 1996 have all four original members of R.E.M. performed together live. The first was when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2007, the second was 17 years later at a Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and their third and fourth occurred over two consecutive nights last February, when frontman Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry played the Reckoning classic “Pretty Persuasion” alongside Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia — the birthplace of R.E.M.
For the third time since 2023, Shannon, who sings, and Evanston native Narducy, who plays lead guitar, are on tour in support of an R.E.M. album. As they have previously with the band’s acclaimed debut, “Murmur,” and 1985’s “Fables of the Reconstruction” last year, Shannon and Narducy will perform 1986’s “Lifes Rich Pageant” in its entirety, including at The Metro and at the Riviera Theatre. As most R.E.M. albums clock in under 45 minutes, Shannon and Narducy also play a number of additional R.E.M. covers from throughout the band’s career.
Many shows on this and previous R.E.M. tribute tours have sold out, partly because R.E.M. fans miss hearing them live, partly because some want to see who else might show up, and partly to see two-time Academy Award nominee Shannon, who started his acting career at Chicago’s tiny A Red Orchid Theatre.
The Tribune spoke to Shannon and Narducy about their favorite R.E.M. album and performing with R.E.M. The following has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: What was your gateway R.E.M. album?
Shannon: I think for both of us, it was (the 1987 album) “Document.” That was the record we sort of stumbled onto. I first heard it when I was visiting my cousin out in the country. We were hanging out in his room, and he put it on his cassette player. It grabbed me immediately. Back at school, I started talking about this record, and I realized there were a lot of other kids who were into it too, which kind of surprised me. There was just something about it. R.E.M. felt like a secret society back then.
Narducy: I went to Evanston Township High School and I had a friend in 1985 who went to see the band at the UIC Pavilion on the “Fables” tour. He came back raving about it and played me either “Driver 8” or “Can’t Get There from Here.” I know one of those was the first R.E.M. song I ever heard. But as Mike said, the first album I actually bought was “Document.” “Finest Worksong” comes on, and I just thought, this band is for me.
Q: “Lifes Rich Pageant” was and continues to be a politically charged record. Have you thought about how it resonates, given the current mood of the country?
Shannon: R.E.M., being the genius songwriters they are, managed to write songs that were incredibly relevant when they were written — and they’re still incredibly relevant today. I always think of this example — different band, but still. David Byrne (from Talking Heads) wrote the line, “Our president’s crazy, did you hear what he said?” back in the early ’80s. And it feels like it could’ve been written this morning. Stipe has the same ability.
Q: Does being both a fan and performing R.E.M. night after night change how you experience the music?
Shannon: I never get tired of listening to the music. And when I say I listen to music, I mean this music. I probably listen to these songs at least a hundred times before we even hit the road — and then I keep listening once we’re out there. Album versions, live versions, demos. I’m constantly immersed in it.
Q: How is learning song lyrics compared to memorizing dialogue?
Shannon: I’m not sure — it’s different. With lyrics, you’re not just memorizing words; you’re also thinking about phrasing and melody. And some of that phrasing is pretty tricky. Stipe is a master of it, especially on this record.
Q: What songs, in particular?
Shannon: The song “I Believe,” the phrasing on that vocal is (expletive) unreal.
Q: You’ve had a lot of guest appearances over the years, including members of R.E.M. How do those moments typically come together?
Narducy: That was spontaneous, it wasn’t planned in Athens. We knew they’d be there, and we knew Bill, Peter, and Mike would join us at different points. But the whole band getting up together? That wasn’t something anyone expected. Peter Buck even said to me, “I didn’t think Michael would do that.” So much of this project has been like that, full of unplanned surprises. It was incredibly moving to see them all together, and then to look out at the audience and see people crying. I know that sounds absurd, but it was real. It felt like the room was on fire.
Q: Do they have an open invitation to jump onstage anytime, wherever you are?
Shannon: It’s not even restricted to them. We had (R.E.M. collaborator) Scott McCaughey with us when we played Portland.
Q: You’ve had some memorable shows, especially here in Chicago. Last year at Metro, you played a 39-song set, and in 2023, you had Mike Mills on stage, along with Scott Lucas from Local H, who, famously, got the Local H band name from two R.E.M. songs.
Shannon: And Jeff Tweedy was nice enough to come up. He actually sang a Velvet Underground song (“There She Goes Again”). We’re always looking for people to come up and join us. We love it when people jump in.
Q: How are the nerves when that happens?
Shannon: For me, it’s honestly a relief. It means I don’t have to think as much. Stipe can take it from there, and I can just relax a bit. … He told me the first show in Athens (in Feb. 2025) that he wanted to sing background. And then the second show, he said, “I want to take the lead tonight.” And I said, “OK.”
Q: Should you decide to continue this chronological album tribute, “Document” would be next up. Have you given that any thought?
Narducy: I’m personally not, just because I’m so deep into (“Lifes Rich Pageant”). It’s about to start, and there’s a there’s an element of cramming and rehearsing. But we’ve played songs off so many of their records that there isn’t much that’s unfamiliar.
Shannon: I’d say the answer to that really lies with the audience. They let us know pretty quickly if they start losing interest. We already love “Document” and we’ll continue to love it whether we play it live or not. But at some point during the show, I’ll usually say, “Should we play the next one?” and they let us know how they feel. We take it from there. That’s the thing about this whole project, it’s entirely predicated on whether people want to hear this music live. It’s not us saying, “Oh my god, if we don’t play this, how can we live with ourselves?” It’s more that people seem to be asking for it. And that could change in the blink of an eye. Who knows?
Q: If you did take on Document, you’d have to do “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” That can’t be an easy one. Have you done it before?
Shannon: Well, the thing about “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” is, I actually won an episode of “Lip Sync Battle” with that song. I didn’t actually make any sound, but I mouthed it. I mouthed it well enough that I got a giant belt that’s like a wrestling award.
If you had to put a single R.E.M. record in a time capsule, what would it be for each of you?
Shannon: I love them all, but I think just for the sake of being obtuse, I would say “New Adventures in Hi-Fi.” I think that record’s just crazy. I just love it so much.
Narducy: I don’t really listen to music that way, but I understand the question — I’m not trying to be dismissive. Maybe it’s just because I’m so deep in it right now, but “Lifes Rich Pageant” wouldn’t be a bad one to have on a desert island.
Blair R. Fischer is a freelance writer.
Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy and Friends play R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant at 8 p.m. March 12-13 at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.; metrochicago.com. Then 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave.; jamusa.com.
