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September 14, 2006

Leonard Bernstein!

Athens rockers 5-8, Drive-By Trucker Patterson Hood, and others join Stipe, Buck and Mills on "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" at the 40 Watt Club earlier this week.

Watch Patterson's "So. Central Rain" here.

All four original members of R.E.M. are currently rehearsing for their Georgia Music Hall of Fame induction on Saturday. There's so much great R.E.M. footage on YouTube. If you find something cool, post in the comments. Or just argue if and when R.E.M. jumped the shark.

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25 Comments

not nearly as cool as i was hoping.. its pretty much a mess.

Posted by: anon at 09/14/06 3:57 PM | Reply
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mills buck berry and stipe appeared and did begin the begin then south central rain.

they will do a three song set on saturday and it should be broadcast on pbs in georgia

shiny happy people sucked but at least they never rocked the peach pit afterdark

Posted by: javier buchananeversonia at 09/14/06 4:29 PM | Reply
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That's one of those things that would've been really incredible if you were there because of the energy and excitement in the room, but doesn't translate to video at all. Still cool to see though. Patterson Hood's rendition of So Central Rain was abysmal...I love DBT but that guy's voice was not made for R.E.M. songs.

Posted by: Stephen at 09/14/06 4:43 PM | Reply
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they jumped the shark after murmurs was released on tape. sell outs. thank god for shiny happy people bringing back their indie cred. reveal was underrated. this band deserves more of our love.

Posted by: Jesus Christ at 09/14/06 4:56 PM | Reply
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Sharks would be lucky to jump R.E.M.

Posted by: Lawyerlike at 09/14/06 5:05 PM | Reply
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R.E.M. hasn't jumped the shark, but they cater to a different audience now. It's the same people, but all of those people are in a different place in their lives now. The band actually grew up with its listeners. I'm not sure you can say that about many other groups.

Posted by: some guy at 09/14/06 5:48 PM | Reply
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The Observatory (E6) clip on youtube of the same show is pretty insane.

Posted by: lollipop at 09/14/06 5:52 PM | Reply
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Anyone who saw REM on their greatest hits tour a few years ago, as I did in San Diego, would argue that shark-jumping doesn't even apply to a band that has that many good songs. Some people forget that they never recorded any music on an indie label to begin with.

Posted by: Flem Snopes at 09/14/06 5:53 PM | Reply
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1) You're either all cowards, or don't really know how to play the "jumped the shark" game. EVERYTHING has jumped the shark.

2) R.E.M. jumped the shark with Berry's aneurism.

Posted by: Thomas B, at 09/14/06 6:51 PM | Reply
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*aneurysm

Posted by: Thomas B. at 09/14/06 6:56 PM | Reply
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I think it could be argued R.E.M. jumped the shark after Bill Berry left, as for years they had gone on and on about how they were all for one, one for all and if one of them didn't want to do it anymore, they would all quit. Obviously that can't happen when you;ve just signed a $60 million contract (or more, I'm too lazy to Wikipedia it) with Warners. Still, they'll always be my favorite band, I just don't think they've made a great album since New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Reveal was okay, but doesn't really come close to their best work. I don't want them to hang it up though, cause I still want to be able to go see them live. They should def. try to work with a new producer on their next album.

Posted by: Stephen at 09/14/06 8:30 PM | Reply
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Agreed, New Adventures in HiFi was their last good album. Their reputation would be a lot better now if they quit after that. Up had its moments, but the last two were truly mediocre. Still, it's hard to think of another band that has put out so much consistently great material over such a long time period. And don't say U2!!

Posted by: jaseyjase at 09/14/06 8:58 PM | Reply
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Yeah, I'm sorry, but I'm with the folks who say it's not really even R.E.M. since Berry left.

R.E.M was my favorite band in high school. I saw them at the Spectrum in '87, front row, right after Document came out and they were becoming more well known. Great show. Then I saw them in '94 in Pittsburgh, on the Monster tour, where they were playing the new songs that would become New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Another excellent show.
They've always been a great live band. Too bad they never put out any live albums, they could do a whole box set of that stuff going back to the early '80s.

Posted by: Michael at 09/14/06 10:06 PM | Reply
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They "jumped the shark" (I hate that expression) \ lost it \ whatever with the last two albums. New Adventures and Up were both pretty great (and the two most underappreciated REM albums) but Reveal was a bit watery and the latest one was a washout.. They've fallen into the same cycle as U2 have of cannibalising a sort of easily-digestible version of their old sound instead of making any attempts to push their boundaries. Hopefully all this rediscovery of their early material and performing again with Bill Berry will rekindle what used to be great about them.

Posted by: Richie at 09/14/06 10:17 PM | Reply
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A bit frenetic for my tastes, no matter who was on stage. But I'd like some of the drugs that the guy in the red shirt banging the tambourne was on :)

Posted by: dudeasincool at 09/14/06 10:45 PM | Reply
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stipe is a shockingly amazing live frontman. he owns the audience. it was fun watching him open for springsteen and win springsteen fans over.

Posted by: Jesus Christ at 09/15/06 12:15 AM | Reply
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I do think it's cool that everytime they get back with Bill Berry they play their 80s stuff...I wonder if Bill likes that stuff more, or if it's just a lot more fun/easier to play live. I think they should get back to the "Reckoning" way of recording, with mostly just the guitars, bass, drums and minimal overdubs. They've gone way too far into the studio thing, in my opinion.

Posted by: Stephen at 09/15/06 2:28 AM | Reply
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I love how saying someone jumped the shark can instantly start such debate. I first saw REM when I was 12 at the Agora Ballroom (long since burned) right before the release of Murmur. Only Chronic Town was released. I have always said that "Document" was their last great album. They were great. They held out on arenas longer than anyone, always playing a run of 5 shows or so at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (a 3K seater) rather than making the switch over. I don't think it's necessarily true that they jumped the shark. It's just that each listener can only be saturated so much before needing no more. For me that was earlier than for many, but I grew up in Atlanta in the 70s and 80s, so my exposure was different. I do, however, feel that there is relevance for a band like REM for each new listener in different ways at different times in the listener's life and the band's career. I love that you posted this. I had some great times at the 40 Watt back in the day. Pete Buck is in there, you say? WHERE?!!

Posted by: Abby at 09/15/06 7:30 AM | Reply
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I'm just happy to see Mike Mantione kicking some ass on this song. Five-Eight is probably one of the best bands in Athens, but they get hardly any recognition.

Posted by: sweetandsourhooligan at 09/15/06 7:55 AM | Reply
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saw r.e.m. in vancouver in 2003. radiohead was the following night. during the r.e.m. set, thom yorke appeared on stage to sing 'e-bow the letter'. then he 'tried' to sing 'end of the world', but couldn't keep up as he was clearly tipsy. stipe gave him a guitar and just let him run around the stage 'til the song was over. true story.

Posted by: s at 09/15/06 8:06 AM | Reply
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Interestingly, debating whether R.E.M. has jumped the shark has jumped the shark.

Posted by: the management at 09/15/06 11:38 AM | Reply
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Nothing worse than guys shouting through orange pylons.

Posted by: Elvis C. at 09/15/06 12:25 PM | Reply
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saw that vancouver show too. wilco opened. tweedy, stipe and yorke on the same stage, same night. doesn't happen much. dandy warhols opened but they don't belong in the same sentence.

Posted by: g at 09/15/06 5:28 PM | Reply
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Reveal is their last good album.
Stand is much worse than Shiny Happy People.

Posted by: Philco Brothers at 09/16/06 10:56 AM | Reply
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the kid on tamborine is from the modern skirts....

in a perfect world five eight would be getting inducted into the rock-n-roll hall of fame....

and i think rem jumped the shark when they started playing the omni instead of 4-5 shows at the fox....

and isn't it ironic how the frat boys loved stipe until he came out of the closet?

maybe they jumped the shark?

thank you rem for all the great stuff on irs.....

chronic town, murmur, reckoning, fables, life's rich.......those are my faves....

Posted by: maya lucia at 09/18/06 12:56 PM | Reply
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