Pilgrimage Relevant 35 Years Later


Thanks to Stu Egan, a HS teacher from Winston-Salem, NC, the song Pilgrimage (1983) takes on some relevance all these 35 years later: http://bit.ly/2oKZjgu See also Dahlia Lithwick, a brilliant lawyer and parent, on the importance of extracurriculars in education and why those Florida HS students are so good at what they do— they’ve been … Continued

R.E.M. Guitar Tech Mike "Microwave" Mytrowiz

Memories of Micro (1956-2008)


This past Thursday (Feb. 15) was the 10th anniversary of the passing of R.E.M.’s longtime guitar tech Mark “Microwave” Mytrowitz.  We were reminded by longtime R.E.M. fan and friend Ole Skjefte of Norway of an interview Katherine Downs did with Micro for the Fan Club newsletter in 1996. We’ve posted that here and hope you … Continued

Peter and Joseph Arthur Form New Group


Peter and Joseph Arthur have put a new band together called Arthur Buck. The duo have worked up a number of tracks which are currently in the mixing phase for an album and plan to tour in the coming months. Rolling Stone has a great article on the band…

Finding Bertis Downs


Towncarolina.com hits the classic city with R.E.M.’s advisor, the one and only Bertis Downs.

Diffuser Revisits the Green World Tour


Diffuser takes a trip in the time machine to look back at the Green World Tour: On Jan. 26, 1989, R.E.M. kicked off the Green World Tour at MZA Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Unsurprisingly, the setlist skewed heavily toward the band’s latest album, 1988’s Green: The Athens, Ga., band opened the show with “Pop Song 89,” and performed eight of … Continued

Michael Shares His Songbook with The Guardian


Michael is next up in the Guardian’s “My Songbook” series, sharing some of his favorite tracks from the band’s catalogue. Check it out at the link below: http://bit.ly/2Dj5sGF

Automatic For The People Reissue Nominated for NME Award


Automatic For The People is among the nominees for this year’s NME Awards in the category of “Best Reissue 2018.” REISSUE OF THE YEAR Radiohead, ‘OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017’ Prince, ‘Purple Rain’ The Beatles, ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ REM, ‘Automatic For The People’ The Smiths, ‘The Queen Is Dead’ Super Furry Animals, … Continued

Dolores O’Riordan


  “We are all saddened to hear the news. Dolores was a brilliant and generous spirit with a quick humor and a stunning voice. Our love to the band and to her family and fans.” -Michael Stipe & the whole of R.E.M. and REMHQ

NYC Divests From Fossil Fuels


WOW! New York City just announced it’s divesting its $191 billion pension funds from fossil fuels. On top of that, they’re filing a lawsuit against top fossil fuel companies for damages caused by climate change! The tide is turning–this is what people power can do. It’s up to all of us to fight for similar … Continued

Brooklyn Vegan Recaps Help The Hoople Action


The benefit concerts for the amazingly talented and resilient Scott McCaughey took place in Portland over the weekend, and as we expected there were plenty of fireworks and notable moments including appearances by Scott himself (woo-hoo!) and R.E.M.’s legendary drummer, Bill Berry, who took the stage with Mike and Peter for a few songs. Brooklyn … Continued