I remember this like it was a little before yesterday– 30 years ago tomorrow I flew down to Daytona Beach for one of R.E.M.’s biggest high-profile shows yet– as opening act for fellow-IRS Records band The English Beat. Listening to NPR this morning on the origins of the rite of passage known as Spring Break, I heard the reference to Daytona Beach, visited YouTube and this brought back very vivid memories of the trip down– Eastern Airlines (cheap ticket), with Russell Carter my great law school friend from ATL, hearing the latest Def Leppard hit, one of those with a false chorus catchier than anything songs (“Pour Some Sugar” I think), dinner with Jay Boberg young guy/head of IRS . . .
it was a great show by R.E.M. and it occurred to us that they were really “making it.” People were blown away, me included. Not much sleep that night. Murmur came out the following month. It was a good run.
Bertis
p.s. tonight Mike plays a very cool song swap at local theatre CINE and I am lucky to have a ticket–
happy Spring break!