Watch R.E.M. reunite for “Pretty Persuasion” at Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy’s show in Athens (video, setlist)

Like last year, when Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy‘s R.E.M. tribute tour hit the alt rock icons’ hometown of Athens, GA, members of R.E.M. turned up. All four of them. But unlike in 2024, Michael Stipe was persuaded on stage at the 40 Watt Club as well. “At long last, the final member of the quartet joined the stage,” Michael Shannon said with a British accent, as if he was reading a fairy tale. “And the mystery was completed.” The band then launched into “Pretty Persuasion”‘s signature descending riff, making for a full R.E.M. reunion.

For many in the audience (and onstage), this probably was like a fairy tale come true. It clearly was for Shannon, who just repeated “Oh my god oh my god” over and over after it happened. “Guys,” he said, pulling himself together, “this is a special place where dreams come true.” Watch that below.

It was the only song Stipe was on stage for, but there was at least one member of R.E.M. playing with Shannon, Narducy & Friends for half the set. Bill Berry joined for “Wendell Gee,” to close out the Fables of the Reconstruction portion of the set, and it was during the second set of R.E.M. classics that the fun began. Mike Mills was onstage for most of it, and Peter Buck then came out for “Second Guessing,” as well as two Velvet Underground songs, “Femme Fatale” and “There She Goes Again” which both also featured Lenny Kaye. It was after that when Berry and Stipe came up for “Pretty Persuasion,” and then the second set ended with “Letter Never Sent” (with Buck), “Harborcoat,” and “Little American” (with Buck).

The encore had Buck and Mills out for “(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville,” and Mills for “Sitting Still,” and the show ended, as they’ve been doing on this tour, with Aerosmith’s “Toys in the Attic,” with opening act Dave Hill shredding on guitar.

Check out video of “Pretty Persuasion” and other highlights from the 40 Watt show, along with the setlist, below.

R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey were on hand for the Portland show. The Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy & Friends Play Fables of the Reconstruction hits NYC at Brooklyn Steel on March 8. Will there be any special guests at that one?

SETLIST: Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy & Friends @ 40 Watt 2/27/2025
Fables of the Reconstruction:
Feeling Gravitys Pull
Maps and Legends
Driver 8
Life and How to Live It
Old Man Kensey
Can’t Get There From Here
Green Grow the Rushes
Kohoutek
Auctioneer (Another Engine)
Good Advices
Wendell Gee (with Bill Berry)

Set 2:
Romance
Strange (with Mike Mills)
Daysleeper
1,000,000 (with Mike Mills)
Crazy (with Mike Mills)
7 Chinese Bros.
World Leader Pretend
Bandwagon
New Test Leper
Second Guessing (With Peter Buck & Mike Mills)
Femme fatale (With Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Lenny Kaye)
There She Goes Again (With Peter Buck & Lenny Kaye)
Pretty Persuasion (with R.E.M.)
Letter Never Sent (with Peter Buck)
Harborcoat
Little America (with Peter Buck)

Encore:
Let Me In
(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (With Peter Buck & Mike Mills)
Disturbance at the Heron House
Sitting Still (with Mike Mills)
Toys in the Attic (with Dave Hill)