Artist bio

In the '80s and '90s, when underground rock music on independent labels exploded with word-of-mouth popularity and critical acclaim and the opposing audience for mainstream pop also surged ahead to new levels of commercial enormity, a four-piece rock and roll band from Athens, Ga. forged an unforgettable career out of walking the line between the two.

R.E.M. was the acceptable edge of the unacceptable stuff; the hard-working college-rock band loved by critics from the start, and recommended by those in the know, until its gradually growing fanbase eventually made it one of the biggest rock bands in the world.

Throughout its career parabola -- from the raw, Southern art-rock of the early '80s to the singles-driven widescreen pop monoliths of its middle age, and down the slope of commercial success to the post-Bill Berry years -- R.E.M. has made engaging, self-respecting pop-rock songs and albums, staking out its claim as not the best rock band of its day, but one of the most consistent, and well-aging of its peer group.

R.E.M. also helped bring the concept of college-rock, or alternative rock, to the public consciousness. During its formative years, despite such accolades as its full-length debut Murmur being named top album of 1983 by Rolling Stone magazine, the band was largely ignored by commercial radio. But the R.E.M. bandwagon kept rolling and picking up new acolytes, largely due to the group's tireless touring schedule, and the embrace of college radio stations, which gave the band heavy airplay throughout the '80s. They were the visible face of this expansion of the music industry, in which bands that weren't incredibly popular by major-label standards could succeed by appealing to an "alternative" fanbase.

Ironically, as much as the band exemplified alternative rock, their subsequent crossover into mainstream pop stardom helped render that concept nearly obsolete. One could hardly call such latter-day R.E.M. albums like Out Of Time and Automatic For The People (each quadruple platinum) "alternatives," as would be the case with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, dubbed with similar tags in the early '90s even as they topped the Billboard charts.

But name-calling aside, R.E.M.'s catalog, now some 13 albums strong, is one of the more accomplished of the modern rock era. And the apparent key to the group's success is that over two decades and counting, its members have always made the music that they wanted to make; what kept them interested and excited about rock. That in itself should be a fitting legacy.

Albums by this artist

Reveal (2001)

Up (1998)

New Adventures In Hi-Fi (1996)

Monster (1994)

Automatic For The People (Recommended) (1992)

Out Of Time (1991)

Fables Of The Reconstruction (1985)

Reckoning (1984)

Murmur (Recommended) (1983)

Chronic Town (Recommended) (1982)

Concerts

August 31, 1999
Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta

August 20, 1999
New World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, Ill.

R.E.M.

Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta (August 31, 1999)

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» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR

R.E.M. Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta August 31, 1999

Atlanta welcomed home the South's most enduring modern rock and roll band for a three-night stand at the end of August, and it was beautiful.

August 31, 1999, the night of the final Atlanta show, marked the seventeen-year anniversary of R.E.M.'s first release, the five-song EP Chronic Town. And the band's three performances at Chastain Park Amphitheatre illustrated how far the Athens band has come in that time.

The band played two songs from Chronic, and at least one from each of their 11 full-length records save 1985's Fables Of The Reconstruction. Over the course of three evenings, the band played 39 different songs, providing for highly varied set lists that made each night a unique experience at cozy Chastain.

Happy to be home near the end of a 10-week North American and European tour, the six-piece band played with inspired gusto fitting for the hometown audience, some of whom used to watch R.E.M. when they were fresh-faced youngsters at some of Buckhead's nearby bars.

Though R.E.M. is a far different creature these days, the band neatly brought its history full circle, juxtaposing its eldest material alongside tunes from last year's Up and 1997's experimental and underappreciated New Adventures In Hi-Fi. Here, some neo-psychedelic grunge ("So Fast, So Numb"), there a bit of minimalist country art-rock ("Gardening At Night"), and so forth. But all fit snugly into the sets, tied together by R.E.M.'s earnest sense of melody and flair for performance.

Adding significance to the shows was the fact that one of said "fresh-faced youngsters" is of course no longer in the band, and these were R.E.M.'s first performances in Georgia since drummer/founder Bill Berry's 1997 departure. Berry was in attendance at Sunday night's gig, where Stipe dedicated "Find The River" to his former bandmate. The audience's attention was piqued as people began to notice Berry watching the song from the side of the bedecked stage. After a rousing chant of "Bill, Bill!" he was brought onstage, where he embraced all three of his ex-band mates and graciously shook the hand of tour drummer Joey Waronker.

R.E.M. still puts on one of the best rock shows around. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more emphatic show opening than the moment when, bounding onstage to the opening drum fills and organ grooves, Stipe shouts "Hey, Hey! I ate the Lotus!!". Then, on cue with Peter Buck's addictive guitar lick, 30+ giant neon objects of varying sizes and colors (a porpoise, a monkey, a globe, an airplane, chinese writing, planets, the moon, and a lotus, to name a few) light up the stage like a Macy's Christmas tree, flooding the senses and announcing the start of a rock and roll night.

But just as sublime was the point late in the shows when Stipe announced "We're doing something special for Atlanta, because we have friends in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra." A clarinet player and a violinist joined Stipe and Mike Mills on piano for a stirring rendition of "Nightswimming," from Automatic For The People.

Or the part during Monday's encore when the audience was treated to the first performance of Chronic Town's "Wolves, Lower" in ten years. Or Tuesday's surprise airing of "Camera," from Reckoning, for only the second time in fifteen years. Or even the appearance of the much-maligned "Stand," which Michael introduced with "We're doing this as a favor to some people in the audience. We've only played it three times on this tour, because we really, really hate this song." Then, after a pause, "OK, we actually love it -- that's why we keep playing it." As anybody who was alive in 1989 knows, the song is just plain fun. And Stipe clearly enjoys seeing 5,000 people instantly compelled to do his silly line-dance.

When it comes down to it, that's what R.E.M. stands for. Not silly dances, but pure fun. That, and the feelings -- the honesty of the music. Both were present in generous helpings at Chastain. And once again, R.E.M. showed why they remain vital players in pop music after all these years.

TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.