R.E.M.’s Original Lineup Performs Publicly for the First Time in Nearly Three Decades at Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony (2024)
Jem Aswad
·4 min read
The four founding members of R.E.M. performed together publicly for the first time in nearly three decades at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony in New York on Thursday night, playing an acoustic version of their breakthrough song, 1991’s “Losing My Religion.”
With characteristic understatement, the group — singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry — showed their respect for the honor and the institution, their friendship and decades-long bond, and in gracious terms, fans, family, friends, and everyone who helped them along the way.
“Writing songs and having a catalog of work that we’re all proud of — that is out there for the rest of the world for the rest of time —is hands-down the most important aspect of what we did,” said Stipe, who delivered the speech while his bandmates stood alongside him. “Second to that is that we managed to do so all those decades and remain friends —and not just friends, but dear friends.”
Although the four members performed together in 2016 at a private event for longtime manager Bertis Downs, their last major concert took place in 1995, concluding a problem-plagued tour that ultimately led to Berry’s departure two years later. The remaining three members last performed in 2008 and amicably split in 2011.
The group’s fellow 2024 inductees were Steely Dan, producer Timbaland, and songwriters Hillary Lindsey, Dean Pitchford and the late Cindy Walker.
Following the format of the show —which sees one of the songwriter’s hits played by an influencee, followed by the induction and then the honoree’s performance — Jason Isbell started R.E.M.’s segment by playing the group’s polysyllabic 1987 hit, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine).”
“I never sang so many syllables so fast in my life,” Isbell joked, recalling memorizing the song’s tongue-twisting lyrics as a kid — and how he’d thought that feat would never be useful.
“I heard their songs on the radio all time, and it’s safe to say thousands of outcast kids in the South had that same experience.”
Stipe’s speech followed —beginning with him thanking Isbell, saying “I can’t believe you chose that song to cover,” to laughter. Turning more serious, he continued, “We are four people who very early on decided that we would own our own masters and we would split our royalties and songwriting credits equally — we were all for one and one for all,” a goal they attained in a remarkably short time for their era. “Some of those song we we recorded turned out good, sometimes great, and what a ride it has been. It truly means the world to us to be recognized for that, and tonight we thank you for this honor.”
After fans, families and several dozen music executives by name, Stipe concluded with a heartfelt tribute to the band’s longtime manager, Bertis Downs: “for allowing us the space to create, to follow our gut, to follow our instincts, to disappear into the music, to not have to be concerned with aspects of the industry that would have or could have prevented us from focusing on the most important part: the songwriting and the songs. And for that gift, Bertis we are forever grateful.”
The band then walked over to the performance area. “We’re R.E.M., and this is what we did,” Stipe said and the bandmembers — Stipe with guitarist Peter Buck on mandolin, bassist Mike Mills playing 12-string acoustic guitar and singing harmony, and drummer Bill Berry, who left the band in 1997, on percussion.
Their appearance was brief, but no one was disappointed.
One of the first alternative rock bands, R.E.M. was noted for Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style; Stipe's distinctive vocal quality, unique stage presence, and obscure lyrics; Mills's melodic bass lines and backing vocals; and Berry's tight, economical drumming style.
R.E.M., named for a dream-state condition (rapid eye movement), formed in 1980 in Athens, Georgia, a university town about 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Atlanta that was already internationally noted for its local pop scene by the time R.E.M. released Chronic Town, its 1982 debut extended-play recording.
plays together, gives interview together at Songwriters Hall Of Fame ceremony. It was the band's first public appearance together since 2008. Until last night, R.E.M.'s final concert took place at the Auditorio Nacional in 2008.
In terms of critical and eventual popular acclaim, R.E.M.'s run between 1982 (their debut EP Chronic Town) and 1998 (the chilly, buzzing Up) ranks with the peaks of any great American rock band.
All sleep is important, but REM sleep in particular plays an important role in dreaming, memory, emotional processing, and healthy brain development. Dreaming: A majority of your dreams take place during REM sleep. However, REM is not the only stage in which dreams occur — that's actually a common myth about sleep.
It wasn't that the band had felt like it had stopped creating good music, Buck went on, it was more simply they were growing tired of everything that went along with being in R.E.M. “We felt like we made a great last record,” he said.
The quartet confirmed they would not play together again (it would take “a comet,” according to bassist Mike Mills, and guitarist Peter Buck opined, “It would never be as good,”) but they said they were proud of their accomplishments and ended the band in 2011 at the right time for them.
R.E.M. was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2006, alongside Gregg Allman, Dallas Austin, Felice Bryant and Jermaine Dupri. R.E.M. was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, the first year of eligibility for the band.
While their brief reunion was certainly joyous, Stipe did confirm to Rolling Stone in 2021 that R.E.M. “will never reunite” — so for those hoping for a full-fledged R.E.M. reunion, you may have to keep dreaming.
One of the first alternative rock bands, R.E.M. was noted for Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style, Stipe's distinctive vocal quality and obscure lyrics, Mills's melodic basslines and backing vocals, and Berry's tight, economical style of drumming.
Personal life. Stipe is vegetarian and owned a vegetarian restaurant, the Grit, in Athens, Georgia. He lives with his long-term partner, photographer Thomas Dozol, in New York and Berlin.
However, at the end of Arc 3, she had her name and memories eaten by Lye Batenkaitos and subsequently fell into suspended animation. At the end of Arc 6, she finally woke up from her slumber following Lye's death, but now suffers amnesia due to not having yet regained her memories.
Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Despite a short mainstream career spanning only three years, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the stage of sleep where most dreams happen. Its name comes from how your eyes move behind your eyelids while you're dreaming. During REM sleep, your brain activity looks very similar to brain activity while you're awake. REM sleep makes up about 25% of your total time asleep.
Virtually every iconic alt-rock band to follow — Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead — were heavily influenced by R.E.M. Eddie Vedder admitted in 2007, while inducting the group into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that he listened to R.E.M.'s debut Murmur more than 1,200 times.
During REM sleep, your eyes twitch and your brain is active. Brain activity measured during REM sleep is similar to your brain's activity during waking hours. Dreaming usually happens during REM sleep. Your muscles normally become limp to prevent you from acting out your dreams.
Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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