Musicians Celebrate R.E.M. at Turner Hall Ballroom

Superchunk’s Jason Narducy and actor Michael Shannon are on the road performing songs from 'Fables of the Reconstruction.'

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On paper, the idea reads like a failed sitcom plot: indie-rock veteran teams up with Hollywood actor to cover songs by the venerable alternative act R.E.M. In reality, it surprisingly works. For Jason Narducy, who has played with such acts as the Bob Mould Band and Superchunk, and Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon, the decision to join forces and play songs by the Athens, Georgia-based band was never meant to be seen as a joke. For the two performers, it was conceived as an act of love, a way to pay tribute to an act that played an incredibly important role in the history of American music.

The relationship between Narducy and Shannon goes back over a decade. An avid music fan and gifted vocalist, Shannon would regularly reach out to Narducy to plan a live show for the Chicago metropolitan region centered on songs from one album. Throughout the years, the duo, with Narducy recruiting other musicians and serving as what he calls the “de-facto musical director,” have done performances of records by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Modern Lovers, and the Velvet Underground. Narducy appreciated the “challenge” of pulling these events off—along with the sense of camaraderie such experiences fostered. “It was like a theatrical college course,” he notes with a laugh.

In 2023, the two decided to focus on Murmur, R.E.M.’s influential first album. For Narducy, this choice was particularly personal, as the band meant a lot to him while he was growing up in the rapidly evolving American music scene of the 1980s. “R.E.M. brought something that was against flashy,” explains Narducy. “It was the golden age of MTV, and a lot of major bands kind of dressed up. There was a lot of hair stuff and fashion. I loved punk rock, which was the other side of that—it was completely anti-establishment. And then there wasn’t much in-between. R.E.M. kind of merged those. R.E.M. was a gateway to indie rock.”

Honoring the Music

Many apparently shared Narducy’s love of early R.E.M. The pair’s performance at the Metro in Chicago was so well received (“I got calls from all over the country,” says Narducy, “asking if we could bring the show to their town.”) that a nationwide tour was booked. In Athens, Georgia, all four members of R.E.M. attended the performance, thanking both Narducy and Shannon for honoring their music.

Such exchanges suggest that what Narducy and Shannon are doing cannot be reduced to the “tribute band” moniker. “It’s certainly not a tribute band,” notes Narducy, “with the difference being tribute bands kind of dress like the band and they move like the band, and they try to embody the band. We’re certainly not that.” Narducy is also uncomfortable calling the act a cover band. The word that Narducy keeps coming back to when attempting to describe what they are doing is “celebration.” When they play songs by R.E.M., “there’s as much joy in the band as there is in the audience.”

Narducy and Shannon are now on the road playing songs from R.E.M.’s third album, 1985’s Fables of the Reconstruction, a tour that will bring them to Milwaukee’s Turner Hall Ballroom on March 13. And while Milwaukee may not see a full-on R.E.M. reunion—all four members recently joined Narducy and Shannon on stage in Athens for a version of “Pretty Persuasion”—attendees will still get to hear a group of seasoned musicians pay homage to a band they love.