Oh, my heart.
I hadn’t been on a stage for 8 years until last weekend, when I finally dared to answer the question of muscle memory. Would my mind and body remember how to sing in front of people? My only live audience for a long stretch has consisted mostly of household pets.
I got my answer: Rust never sleeps, but I remain hopeful. Being on stage was a brick-to-forehead reminder of how much I really miss singing. And I had fun.
I started singing as a kid, mimicking the very band we were there to celebrate last week, R.E.M. I have no regrets in this regard. As far as singers go, I think Michael Stipe is still one of the most interesting and singular artists in the game.
In 1987, R.E.M. changed my life. Up until the release of their 5th album Document, I really had no idea what existed beyond the Stones, the Beatles, the Police, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, and, of course, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
I was 14, a freshman in high school in Orlando, Fl, stuck in a theology class between two girls I barely knew yet, both R.E.M. fans. As our conversation turned to music, one said: “you really need to listen to Murmur. The other added, “and Fables.” I’m sure they have no idea the path they set me on (for which I am supremely grateful), sending me back to the start of R.E.M’s discography to “catch up.” I did so immediately.
R.E.M. sound-tracked all of my biggest moments for the following decade. By the time Green came out, I was driving. Out of Time came out the year I graduated. Automatic for the People? I was in college, again the new kid, blaring DRIVE while delivering pizza. And so it went.
I’ll save the story of recording Dislocation in Athens, GA, and getting to visit the R.E.M. compound for later. (The vinyl test pressings of Dislocation sound strong btw.) Mostly, I just wanted to share what a fan I was and still am.
I’ve always felt like a guest in NC, even though I’ve lived here for 20+ years. The music scene in and around Chapel Hill is legendary. Joining an incredible group of musicians for a great cause (Be Loud!) for a sold out crowd at the Cat’s Cradle to celebrate one of the epic bands of our generation felt pretty damn good.
This place is the beat of my heart.
Yours,
JR
Here’s an iphone recording of a more recent R.E.M. favorite of mine. If you can, take a spin over to Be Loud! and leave a few sheckles for a special organization.
Strangely at home? 😀 great to see you on stage again. Come back soon.
It was good to see you on a stage and performing again (even if only via livestream!). You needed no lyric printout to help you remember the words for a song you seemed to know by heart. And you also threw in a bit of Stipe inspired dancing on stage. Proud of you, Sir!