30 Days to Chronic Town: Day 28

I moved to Athens in early 2006, though I had been coming to the Classic City for several years. I wanted to live in Athens for a while – and it was because of the city’s rich musical history.

In my first few weeks living in Athens I hit a concert almost every other night. Drive By Truckers. The Whigs. Modern Skirts. Elf Power. Drivin n Cryin. It was the first time in two decades I wasn’t working a night job, and I enthralled in the ability to see concerts.

It was in early April a special show was coming to the Georgia Theatre (soon to return!) as The Minus 5 – with Peter Buck in tow – was touring on The Gun Album.

Now R.E.M. plays together in town on certain occasions, it’s all a matter of knowing when those opportunities will happen. With Peter coming to town – and Michael and Mike living here most of the time – an opportunity was in the air. It was confirmed when prior to the show I saw Bill Berry walking around the Theatre floor.

I hadn’t seen R.E.M. perform live since 1989, on the tail end of the Green tour. I had a chance to see the Monster tour, and almost made it to the Reveal tour, but just wasn’t able to make it (the band didn’t make it to Miami, the closest the boys came was Atlanta). I had never seen them play a song live from the 1990s and beyond.

But I did on this April night.

After a thrilling show led by the incomparable Scott McCaughey, The Minus 5 gave way for another band for the first encore. When Michael Stipe walked onstage, the place went nuts. When Bill Berry joined them, followed by Mike Mills and Peter, the sound was deafening. The band kicked into Country Feedback, one of the band’s greatest songs of the 90s.

It was my first R.E.M. show in 17 years – even if it lasted just six minutes long. It was worth the wait.