Live: REM's New Miserable Experience
REMMadison Square Garden, New York City
Playing to a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden last Thursday, REM front man Michael Stipe was clearly feeling good. Sure, Accelerate — the band's 14th album — has garnered critical acclaim, but Stipe's chipper spirit was about something more: This year, we finally elect a new president.
"George W. Bush is an idiot," he declared after the band's Out Of Time smash "Losing My Religion." Moans accompanied cheers throughout the arena, probably disenchanting those who thought they could go to a rock show in 2008 without a political diatribe. Nevertheless, the band — including guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills, and touring die hards Scott McCaughey and drummer Bill Rieflin — polished off their oldies-but-goodies to create a portrait of vintage REM.
Peppy set starter "Living Well is the Best Revenge" from Accelerate, proved that new REM can be just as exciting as old, prepping the audience for a blend of '90s hits ("What's the Frequency, Kenneth?") and '80s classics ("The One I Love," "Orange Crush"). A suited Stipe proved fun and humorous, dancing against a split-screen backdrop of digitized swirls and blip-blops, abstract video and weirdo imagery. Mills acted as a secondary presence in his sequined jacket and bellowing bass. He faded a bit behind Stipe's catchy moves, but gave fans a thrill on the popular Reckoning hit "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville."
"Are you miserable?" Stipe asked a somber-looking audience member at one point. He sounded surprised, making the whole moment a tad ironic. Over a career that spans 25 years, REM's music didn't always send messages of hope and optimism. Then again, that was the beauty of this band: wavering dispositions linked with unforgettable instrumentals. Maybe some things never, and shouldn't, change.
