R.E.M. & Modest Mouse live!

R.E.M., Modest Mouse
United Center, Chicago
Friday, June 6, 2008

Comparing the R.E.M. of 2004 with the band of today is the difference between watching a dying engine tapering out on fumes and lighting a match over a gas tank at full-throttle. Much of the reason for this rollicking resurgence stems from the jangle rock darlings’ latest effort, Accelerate (Warner Bros.), a self-explanatory affair that acts as the antithesis to the band’s dour Around the Sun and other duds that came in the wake of becoming a trio.

At a United Center stop that came only a handful of shows into its latest world tour, frontman Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, and bassist Mike Mills (alongside longtime touring drummer Bill Rieflin and guitarist Scott McCaughey) echoed its earliest days of having a point to prove. And after 27 tracks and two hours, the revived rockers not only accomplished that mission, but forced those who’d previously written R.E.M. off to eat their words.

Aside from the lean, aggressive, and at times angst-ridden new album, much of the fervor on this outing stemmed from radically rotating set lists, which have yet to be repeated verbatim and continue to throw even the most frequent follower for a loop. If it hadn’t been for the age on members’ faces, deep cuts like “Pilgrimage” off of 1983’s Murmur, plus “These Days” and “Fall On Me” (with Johnny Marr as guest guitarist) from 1986’s Lifes Rich Pageant could’ve been the band’s vitality-drenched beginnings all over again.

Yet the Accelerate tracks found R.E.M. recalling that same sense of urgency in present tense, wrapping scalding riffs around “Living Well Is The Best Revenge,” “Man-Sized Wreath,” the title track, and “Horse To Water” to name a few. Despite the somber and haunting nature of “Houston,” Stipe made his boldest lyrical statement, scolding the current political administration for dropping the ball during the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Even with those heavy sentiments, there were still several examples of jubilance thanks to the classic sing-alongs “The One I Love,” “Orange Crush,” “Losing My Religion,” plus the finale, “Man On The Moon.” Oddly enough, those tracks comprised the majority of the evening’s commercial memories, leaving out the even more familiar “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” “Stand,” “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” and “Everybody Hurts.” But as strange as it sounds, they weren’t really needed in the superbly crafted concert that restored R.E.M. to its throne.

Perhaps as a ploy to sell some extra tickets to skeptics, this outing also included openers Modest Mouse, who are also worthy of headliner status (on a slightly smaller scale). But thanks to a boost of star power from its newest member (the aforementioned Marr), the eclectic troupe rose to stadium standards with a series of carnival-like rave ups and ambitious tempo shifts. The career-spanning set highlighted 2007’s We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Epic) with the entrancing “Fire It Up” and the sputtering dance rocker “Dashboard” serving as engaging examples of the indie rockers’ quirky appeal.

— Andy Argyrakis

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly