R.E.M. - written off for dead by many critics after releasing three consecutive albums that failed to live up to commercial expectations - added yet another chapter to the year's most convincing comeback story during its thoroughly entertaining show on Saturday night.The Athens, Ga.-based group delivered a fiery, inspired two-hour performance, consisting of 27 songs, which reminded the 8,500 fans at the University of California's Greek Theatre in Berkeley exactly why they fell in love with R.E.M. in the first place.The group - featuring founding members Michael Stipe on vocals, Peter Buck on guitar and Mike Mills on bass and keyboards, as well as touring partners Scott McCaughey on guitar and Bill Rieflin on drums - thrilled the sold-out crowd with selections from its acclaimed new album, "Accelerate," while also mining the rest of their 14-album back catalog.R.E.M., which returned to the Greek with openers Modest Mouse and the National on Sunday night, put on a show that was meant for longtime listeners, as opposed to those who might have gone to the gig primarily in hopes of hearing "Shiny Happy People" (which the band, of course, didn't play). Stipe and company went way back into its catalog - way, way back."That song is from the year 1638," Stipe said after performing "Ignoreland." "It's from our 75th album." The singer later introduced "West of the Fields" as being "from the year 1064." Besides beingfactually incorrect - "Ignoreland" actually hails from 1992's blockbuster "Automatic for the People," R.E.M.'s eighth album, while "West of the Fields" is from the 1983 debut "Murmur" - those comments showed what kind of a mood Stipe was in.Often criticized for being overly serious, the 48-year-old singer was obviously playful and ready to entertain in Berkeley. Stipe, the only Southern-born member of the group and the grandson of a South Georgia preacher, operated like he was center stage at a revival tent. He was an engaging, writhing presence, one who sold his words with equal parts passion and conviction.
Stipe was also in the mood to rock. The group came out hitting on all cylinders, with Buck rocking one Rickenbacker after another and Mills punching out some of the most melodically endearing bass solos in all of modern rock, and the first 11 offerings were all up-tempo ditties.The new album was featured prominently in this segment and produced some of the evening's finest moments, especially during raucous versions of "Horse to Water" and "Man-Sized Wreath." The band truly seemed to love playing the tunes from "Accelerate," which is R.E.M.'s most rock-oriented release since 1994's "Monster."
Yet, there was no timeline restriction for highlights on this night. The band constantly flipped through the pages of its yearbooks and delighted fans at every stop. Each of the eras produced big thrills as the quintet raced through "Little America" (from 1984's "Reckoning"), "Driver 8" (1985's "Fables of the Reconstruction"), "Orange Crush" (1988's "Green"), "Imitation of Life" (2001's "Reveal") and other winners.The only song that didn't work was, believe it or not, R.E.M.'s biggest hit, "Losing My Religion." It wasn't because Buck, an East Bay native, broke a mandolin string early in the song - it was because R.E.M. played the tune like an obligation, something owed to fans.
"Tonight's your night," Stipe said to the crowd early in the show. "I'm happy to be here to share it with you."
In that assessment, the vocalist had things backward. The musicians played this show like it was their night - which was why the music felt so passionate - and we were happy to be there to share it with them.Source:mercurynews.com