R.E.M. fans in Athens, Georgia, were in for an unforgettable night when all four original band members—Michael Stipe, Bill Berry, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills—made an unannounced appearance at the 40 Watt Club on Thursday, February 27.
The surprise reunion stunned the crowd as the band launched into their 1984 track, Pretty Persuasion. Their performance was part of an R.E.M. tribute show organized by actor Michael Shannon and musician Jason Narducy, who are currently touring in honor of the 40th anniversary of Fables of the Reconstruction, R.E.M.’s 1985 album.
Beyond Pretty Persuasion, Berry took the stage on drums for Wendell Gee, while Mills joined Shannon and Narducy for covers of Wire’s Strange, Pylon’s Crazy, and the deep-cut R.E.M. track 1,000,000. Meanwhile, Mills and Buck teamed up for a few additional songs, including Second Guessing from Reckoning, as well as Velvet Underground classics Femme Fatale and There She Goes Again.
Following the impromptu set, R.E.M. shared a nostalgic moment on Instagram, quoting longtime art director Chris Bilheimer, who captured the night in a photograph: “It’s always fun when you get together with your old coworkers.” The band added, “INDEED!!”
Despite Michael Stipe’s longtime insistence that R.E.M. is officially retired, this marks the second time in less than a year that the band has reunited onstage since disbanding in 2011. It’s also only the second time Bill Berry has performed with his former bandmates since his departure in 1997.
