While Ribsy and Mirabel were off for a playdate with Niles and Daphne, Girl roadied up the QEW for her own date with R.E.M. at the Molson Amphitheatre. Now Girl has seen them twice before (in 1995 and in 2004) but never from a second row vantage point, in front of Michael Stipe himself. It was great to be surrounded by hardcore fans - one guy in the front row knew every word to every song and even proudly professed ("yelled") to Michael that he was a fan of Around the Sun (their 2004 flop). Yet, there were plenty of people sitting around me, and I thought, you have no right to be in the first few rows if you're going to plant your ass down during a concert in which Michael, Mike, and Peter were obviously putting in so much effort.
From the opener These Days to top hits like What's the Frequency, Kenneth and Drive to new songs Hollow Man and Horse to Water, it was clear that the band was enjoying themselves up on stage. It helped that I could actually see their facial expressions for the first time ever at a show, and leading the way was the animated, bouncy, flirty, and charismatic Michael Stipe - posing Captain Morgan-style, hamming it in front of the camera, tossing harmonicas and lyric sheets into the audience (and yes I got one!), and proclaiming, as a Southerner, he f*ckin' loved the heat that night! Oh Michael, I heart you!
Highlights included an emotionally stirring rendition of Let Me In, where the band gathered close together to perform; the first tour performances of So Fast, So Numb and 7 Chinese Bros. (he must have looked at me and gotten the idea to perform it); and an encore featuring Fall on Me with Johnny Marr.
Everyone finally did get up for Losing My Religion, which was played during the encore, but to me, it was all those other songs that flooded back all my lonely teenager memories, like Second Guessing, Begin the Begin, even The One I Love. Growing up alongside R.E.M., I was beyond euphoric, and in a time warp caught between pained regret and nostalgic, glossy-eyed romanticism. Thanks R.E.M. for making me a believer again.
Can't wait to see you again.
R.E.M. in Toronto - June 8/08 - Fall on Me with Johnny Marr from Vimeo.
