Band from Athens, GA, 1980-2011, made music, lasts forever.
55,673 followers 8 following 294 posts
view profile on Bluesky
Drink The Sea, Peter’s latest musical project with Barrett Martin, has announced a US tour in January and February ‘26. The band includes Alain Johannes, Duke Garwood, Lisette Garcia, and Abbey Blackwell. Tickets 🎟️ are available now at venue websites.
Important info about presale..,
Michael Shannon @jasonnarducy.bsky.social and Friends will be touring in tribute to the 40th anniversary of the band’s fourth studio album, Lifes Rich Pageant, Feb.-March ‘26. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10:00 AM. We’ll post more details as we get them but for now stay tuned to Jason’s page.
I'm told by those who've listened that this is a really good episode of a really good podcast. It might be too much of me to revisit myself. As Pee Wee Herman once said so poignantly: "I lived it." open.spotify.com/episode/1S40...
Very cool @remhq.bsky.social @millsish.bsky.social
🪐 Playing The Saturn in Birmingham tonight! Modeling my truck stop purchases. Photo- Linda Pitmon 🥁 @thebaseballproject.bsky.social
Birminghammers! Tonight—The Minus 5 opening for The Baseball Project at #Saturn. Come rock with us!
Scott McCaughey sent this photo of Bill hanging out with Peter & Mike during @thebaseballproject.bsky.social rehearsals earlier this week. The Baseball Project and The Minus Five Double Header Tour starts today in Jacksonville. Grab your tix here: bnds.us/1yeiwy
“It usually takes a few good years for me to decide where an album stands in the pantheon of recorded work we’ve done. This one may be third behind Murmur and Automatic For The People.” - Mike Mills in Mojo, 1996 New Adventures In Hi-Fi was released on this day in 1996. What’s your favorite 🎵?
Some songs still resonate... For more, listen to our playlist, We Are Hope Despite The Times (found.ee/rem-wahdtt) www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxCz...
*For those getting a copy locally, indie record shops will have an exclusive RFE25 bumper-sticker gift for you at street date! Proceeds still to benefit Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 🎙️ 🌍 Stream now on your favorite platform: ffm.to/remrfe2025
Radio Free Europe 2025 10” vinyl EP is almost here!Despite the manufacturing timeline running longer than expected, those who have already pre-ordered from the official REMHQ store will have their copies shipped on 9.12 & will receive them soon thereafter.The retail release is now set for 10.17 ⬇️
From last night’s show at the Rialto Room in Athens: Kevn Kinney, Peter, and @millsish.bsky.social Photos by @karenryanphoto.bsky.social
🖊️ 🎶 Michael with some more lyrics from “Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”
@millsish.bsky.social Mike Mills says “Love your posts on BlueSky, but wasn’t it “that low plane, fine, then” not “flying” , then? I remember you said it was from a roadside sign about watch out for low planes flying. But that was a long time ago.” So Im doing my best. Thx Mike!🫰xxx
“This song is nothing if it’s not a complete slagging off or a lampooning… a putting in place of where media has gotten us in 1994, what media has reached, where it’s at at this point.” - @michaelstipe.bsky.social “WTFK?” was released this week in 1994. m.youtube.com/watch?v=jWkM...
I actually changed it to ‘a way to shield the hated heat’ because that was much better
Ok its ‘feed it off an aux, speak, grunt no strength, the ladder start to clatter with fear fight down height, wire in a fire representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site’.
On this day in 1989, Michael joined Amy and Emily of @indigogirlsmusic.bsky.social at John Keane studios in Athens to record “I’ll Give You My Skin.”
Any other lyrics— don’t even try chronic town murmur or reckoning btw— just form vowels and syllables, and mean it
“To me, ‘Driver 8’ is probably the quintessential R.E.M. song of that particular period.” - Peter Buck. Guitar School interview, 1993 “Driver 8” was released as a single on this day in 1985–the second single from Fables Of The Reconstruction. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuFI...
It’s “Team by team reporters, baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped, Look at that low playing, fine, then
I can
I listen to the finest worksong www.youtube.com/watch?v=559e...
It’s ‘Left of west and coming in a hurry with the Furies breathing down your neck
👏
The whole album is about 🔥 , about everything you think about 🔥 as being: cleansing, something that destroys everything in its path. It’s an element that’s everywhere; the metaphorical & allegorical interpretations of 🔥 are endless.” M. Stipe Happy anniversary to Document, released on 8.31.1987
What a fun night, the final show of that wonderful #Fables40 tour by such a great group of musicians. And here’s more next year for #Pageant40
New music from Drink The Sea, Peter’s latest project with Barrett Martin, et. al. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIoz...
Exciting news from Drink the Sea, Peter’s latest project. They’ll be playing at Lollapalooza Chile 🇨🇱 in March 2026.
Green Grow the Rushes from sold-out Vicar Street in Dublin, final Fables show, just a great band, sounds, crowd. Always something super-special about Dublin for this music, since way back 🇮🇪 - Bertis @jasonnarducy.bsky.social
Luke Haines - Peter Buck “Blow Your Mind” Hot Sauce. Available at gigs or online. Proceeds to charity. Order: www.rockadoodledo.com/shop-all/blo... To benefit: www.musicforall.org.uk
Vincent Moon film from R.E.M.’s residency in Dublin 25 years after Chronic Town was released in 1982. Here’s the film on YouTube, where it’s really not been seen all that often given the power and thrill of those shows captured by Vincent Moon himself 🎸 youtu.be/ErdDdjSVk-E?...
Happy Anniversary Chronic Town, released on August 24, 1982.
Two phenomenal nights in London included a visit from the actual Fables of the Reconstruction producer, Joe Boyd. Nottingham, Bristol, and Dublin are next!
Uncut’s report from the London tribute show… www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/mich...
It’s at REMHQ as well: remhq.com/news/bertis-...
Song of the day, sadly— from the prescient playlist of years gone by berto.fyi/HopeDespiteT...
It’s a sign of the times, indeed 🎸 open.spotify.com/track/6u4Z42...
Jason Narducy shared these photos (by Christy Bush) from Wednesday night’s Glasgow show and reports that things are going great as he, Michael Shannon and Friends prep for tonight’s Fables show in London. 🇬🇧
“Sitting Still” from last night’s Michael Shannon, @jasonnarducy.bsky.social & Friends show at Glasgow’s The Garage. Read a full report from @bertisdowns.bsky.social at the band’s Instagram page: www.instagram.com/p/DNngSelg01...
🎸 🇬🇧 From last night’s Michael Shannon, @jasonnarducy.bsky.social & Friends (Jon Wurster, Ted Leo, Dag Juhlin, & Vijay Tellis-Nayak) show at the Garage in Glasgow. Bertis says, “After two hours of those wonderful songs, everybody went home happy, satiated & joyful.” 📸@bertisdowns.bsky.social
Stuttgart 🇩🇪 August 2008
I’m so honored to be a small part of Wolfgang Tillmans exquisite show at @centrepompidou.bsky.social it is truly—hands down— one of the best retrospectives and shows I have ever seen 🩵 see it soon, and shout out to @buttmagazine.bsky.social
Mike and Robert McDuffie will perform the Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and Strings (written by @millsish.bsky.social for his good friend) on Wednesday night at Harris Concert Hall in Aspen. Read a preview article here: www.aspendailynews.com/arts_and_ent...
Today is the anniversary of the band’s show at Shea Stadium in New York on August 18, 1983 when they supported The Police. Good friend Laura Levine was along for the ride that day and captured these images of the guys and the setlist.
“A photo of Luke Haines, Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, Linda Pitmon & Nick Fowler rockin the Omeara in London. Lots of old friends at the show! We were hurried out afterwards because there was a sex party scheduled for later in the evening. I wasn’t invited. Ageism I reckon.” -Peter 📸 Jason Narducy
PRAGUE 8.17.2008
Very lucky to attend the Luke Haines and Peter Buck show at OMEARA in South London tonight. Great rocking versions of songs from the new album and other ones too. Lots of friends and family here. Good fun 🎸 - @bertisdowns.bsky.social
Uncut’s featurette from their Fables cover story about Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy & Friends upcoming UK-Eire tour www.uncut.co.uk/features/tha...
Here's the new single from Drink The Sea, Peter's latest project with Barrett Martin. It's called "Rose Crested Sky." Check out more videos from the band at their Vevo video channel and listen to all 8 singles on your favorite streaming platform. www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWgZ...
Michael in Salzburg, Austria 🇦🇹 at the FM4 Frequency festival on August 14, 2008
The familiar sounds a little… stranger.
On August 12, 1983, the band played at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, supporting The Police. This photograph was taken by Tony Mottram (details here: www.rockarchive.com/prints/r/rem...)
The third time is the charm—Michael hands out leaflets in Prague trying to get the word out that R.E.M. really was in Prague to play a show on August 11, 1995 (after two postponements due to Bill’s brain surgery in March and Mike’s gut surgery in July).
“Fall On Me” was released on August 11, 1986 in the U.S. as the first single from Lifes Rich Pageant.
Michael at the Greek Theatre, LA, in 1999. Photo: (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Looking at your watch a third time….“(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville” was released as a single this week in 1984.
Check out Peter’s interview with Line Noise. He discusses the latest collaboration with Luke Haines and a whole lot more! linenoise.substack.com/p/peter-buck...
"Near Wild Heaven" was released as a single in the UK on this day in 1991. The single peaked at #27 on the UK Singles charts and went to #3 on the Irish Rock Music charts. It was not released in the US. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC7e...
Hey!! Happy birthday @theeminus5.bsky.social !!
Read Thom Yorke’s tour diary here: berto.fyi/ThomsDiary1995
Today is the 30th anniversary of R.E.M.’s show at Waldbuhne in Berlin. @bertisdowns.bsky.social reflects on that day in his post “A Musical Footnote to Some Significant History” (www.instagram.com/p/DMz2SG-gul...) and Thom Yorke’s tour diary as Radiohead supported R.E.M.
🎂 Happy Birthday Bill!! Photo— Karen Ryan
Peter and @lukehaines.bsky.social new album Going Down to the River… To Blow My Mind is out now on lovely vinyl! Get it here via Cherry Red: www.cherryred.co.uk/luke-haines-...
An update from Peter about his new group with Barrett Martin, Drink The Sea: "Finally, the day has come! Drink The Sea is taking orders for vinyl copies of our two records. Details below, and we will see you on the road." - Peter shop.echobase.com/products/dri...
From Jason Narducy, Michael Shannon & Friends: “We are excited to play Fables of the Reconstruction where it was recorded (London) and beyond. This is our first tour playing R.E.M. songs outside the U.S. Joining us on bass for UK/IRL shows will be our extremely talented friend, Ted Leo”
Lifes Rich Pageant was released on this day in 1986. The title was inspired by a line in the 1964 Pink Panther film A Shot in the Dark when Inspector Clouseau, says “It’s all part of life’s rich pageant” after he falls into a fountain. What’s your favorite track from “Pageant”?
From Verona, July 2008 Photos by David Belisle
This is fantastic and Colbert is a fucking superstar
The new studio album from Luke Haines and Peter is out now. Going Down To The River ...To Blow My Mind is available on CD, vinyl, streaming and download 👉 cherryred.co/BlowMyMind
You’re Gonna Be A 🌟
This week marks the anniversary of the release of "All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)" in 2001. It was the second single from REVEAL and was released on July 23rd and 24th in the UK & USA respectively. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHlp...
Looking down on Slane Castle, July 22, 1995, when the band played the monumental concert in Ireland—the first show after the brief stoppage of the tour in central Europe when Mike came down with abdominal issues necessitating emergency surgery and canceling a few shows through France and Spain.
This is an Ebet Roberts photo of Michael and Peter at the Beacon Theatre on July 21, 1984 during the Little America tour in support of Reckoning.
“Losing My Religion” from Perfect Square, filmed at Bowling Green in Wiesbaden, Germany, July 19, 2003. The DVD/Video, Perfect Square, was released March 9, 2004. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLhD...
LITTLE, BIG, AND FAR—Jem Cohens most recent film is playing at the IFC in Manhattan all week. It is spectacular if you or anyone you know is in the city don’t miss this!
On July 18 & 19, 1987, the band filmed the video for “The One I Love” with director Robert Longo at various places in and around Athens including the Morton Theatre, Michael’s house, The Grit & the countryside outside of Athens. m.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oQ...
Coming soon 🇮🇪 🇬🇧
From the time on April 2, 2008 when the guys appeared as (the first) musical guests on The Colbert Report playing “Supernatural Superserious” and “Hollow Man.”
🇮🇪 Tour poster hanging up in REMHQ from the Dublin, Ireland— Marlay Park shows, July 16-17, 2003.
Mojo has a nice article on Peter’s new band, Drink The Sea. They’ll be touring the UK and Europe in late November and December, dates coming soon! Drink The Sea includes Barrett Martin, Duke Garwood, Alain Johannes, and Lisette Garcia. Photos by @fettigtad.
From 20 years ago today—Patti Smith joined the band at Hyde Park for “E-bow the Letter.” The show that day had been moved from 7/9/05 due to the 7/7 attacks in London. As Bertis said in one of his later postcards reflecting on that time: “We all felt a strange mix of emotions throughout—still do.”
“Fall On Me,” the first single from the band’s fourth album, Lifes Rich Pageant, was released in the 🇬🇧 on July 14, 1986. The video was filmed and directed by Michael. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf6v...
🎂 🎉 Happy Birthday to @bertisdowns.bsky.social today!!
Happy anniversary to “Nightswimming” which was released as a single in the UK on July 12, 1993.
Cardiff 🏴 July ‘05
From July 10, 2010 at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin—“That Someone Is You” is one of the Collapse Into Now songs the band performed live in the Meistersaal that day… www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYl8...
More photos from the two shows Peter and Kevn Kinney played (7-6 and 7-7) in Athens… these are by Karen Ryan 🙏
Some great shots from Monday night’s show at the Rialto Room—Peter with Kevn Kinney. Photos by Sanjeev Singhal
REMHQ store link: store.remhq.com/collections/...
7-8 is the 44th anniversary of the first-ever R.E.M. release: the original “Radio Free Europe/Sitting Still” 7” single on Hib-Tone Records in 1981. And in case you missed it, the band announced a new version, Radio Free Europe 2025, on 10” orange vinyl available at the REMHQ store (link 👇)
Peter and Kevn Kinney tonight at the Rialto Room in downtown Athens.
Bilbao, Spain 🇪🇸 July 5, 2008. “An amazing crowd … even in a pretty cold rain… on top of a mountain in Bilbao” said @bertisdowns.bsky.social
Peter and Scott McCaughey’s version of “MacDougal Blues” is included on the latest installment of the ‘Let’s Go Dancing’ collection: “Said the Falling Rain to the Open Flame” —It’s out today on vinyl. Listen here: fanlink.tv/macdougalblues
This weekend marks yet another leg of our comprehensive tour of the Rialto Room! Sunday is sold out, with a few tickets left for the recently added Monday show. I’m pictured here helpfully pointing at the tour poster. Probably didn’t need to point, but I couldn’t figure out what to do with my hands.
🇧🇪 Rock Werchter ‘08. The July 3rd show was the band’s seventh appearance at the renowned festival in Belgium (first appearance in 1985)
📣 “This Is Not A Show”… the band’s working rehearsals at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre kicked off on June 30, 2007. Michael explains the concept of the live rehearsals in this clip.
From Croke Park, 40 years ago 🇮🇪