On Stage: Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy pay tribute to R.E.M.

I was fortunate to see R.E.M. and hear them play on their bigger arena tours, but I always wondered what it would’ve been like to experience them in their formative years, in bars and clubs around Athens, GA. Turns out, actor Michael Shannon and indie-rock all-star Jason Narducy are out on the road simulating that experience with their tribute to the biggest indie band of all time.

I was introduced to Shannon’s intense, fully-committed acting style in his role as Prohibition agent Nelson Van Alden in HBO’s series Boardwalk Empire. His work on stage & screen is authentic and uncompromising. I only recently became aware that Michael brings that same intensity to his avocation as an indie rocker. His band Corporal out of Brooklyn has been a thing for some 20-odd years.

A few years ago he started playing R.E.M. songs with guitarist Narducy – who’s played with the likes of Bob Mould and Liz Phair, in addition to his own project Split Single – at the legendary Metro club in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood. They eventually toured the thing in 2024, performing R.E.M.’s debut long-player, Murmur, in its entirety.

This year, they went out again to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of R.E.M.’s fourth album, Life’s Rich Pageant. Their September 26th show at Detroit’s Majestic Theatre wrapped the tour, and it was glorious. Shannon and the band – which also included indie-rock luminaries John Stirratt on bass and Jon Wurster on drums – kept it true to the album version of songs. They played all of Pageant, and a hell of a lot more.

The set was a super-fan journey through primarily album tracks, spanning pretty much the entirety of R.E.M.’s 25+ year recording career. Shannon’s voice was a bit road worn, which enhanced the authenticity (Michael Stipe occasionally referred self-consciously to his own voice in his lyrics). Shannon didn’t address the crowd much, but he made it very clear to the people calling out song titles that they “don’t take fucking requests.” He apologized for being “a snarky bastard,” but assured us “it’s only because I feel it in my heart.”

If you missed these guys this time around, make sure to check them out next year when they’ve pledged to hit the road again in tribute to Document, R.E.M.’s fifth LP, released in August 1987. It’s hard to believe this stuff is 40 years old; it sure sounds fresh today in the capable hands and lungs of Michael Shannon and company.