Being a weeklie podcaste from Madison, Wisconsin featuring several remarkable curiosities therein occurring being a compendium of live music from divers artistes
Show #87: REM
September 26th, 2006
While this place may not look like the kind of joint where one would see a rock concert, this week’s show was recorded there. It’s the Stock Pavilion here on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. It was built in 1909 for livestock shows but its arena has been used for various events over the years such as political rallies and concerts. Today it serves as a space for plant sales and meeting locations for groups such as a local archery club & the Society for Creative Anachronism. Although I’ve looked, I haven’t been able to determine when the last rock concert was held there.
Today we have a performance from REM right here in our little burg. It was recorded on 10 May 1985. The release of the band’s third album, Fables of the Reconstruction, was still a month away and a good chunk of it was performed that night. Although the hits “It’s the End of the World (And We Know It)” and “The One I Love” were a couple years off, the band were well on their way to being the definitive college rock band of the 1980s.
This is a good soundboard recording of the bulk of the show but is missing a few songs: “Feeling Gravity’s Pull”, “Old Man Kensey”, “Pretty Persuasion”, and “Pale Blue Eyes”.
Setlist:
Harborcoat
Green Grow The Rushes
Seven Chinese Brothers
Hyena
Good Advices
Talk About The Passion
Driver 8
Can’t Get There From Here
So. Central Rain
Maps And Legends
Auctioneer (Another Engine)
Life And How To Live It
Little America
Second Guessing – Tired Of Singing Trouble
(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville
Just A Touch
Theme From Two Steps Onward
Gardening At Night
9-9
Windout
Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
(Photo source)
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This is a true gem. I am a huge REM fan, especially their early stuff.
Glad you enjoyed the show. Thanks for visiting.
I was there! This was one of the best Madison shows I’ve ever been to, despite the sawdust, barnyard fragrances, echoey acoustics, and wild lighting (very dark and trippy). You could absolutely tell that the group was something new and that new music was coming down the pipe. I’m almost 50 now. I was 27 then and I think REM paved some new music freeway for lots of bands that hit their stride in the 90’s and beyond.
I was there, too! I was 16 and drove up from Milwaukee with two friends with my band new drivers license. It was a great show! I saw REM several times back then – this was the best show.
I had no trouble buying beer, which was cool at 16, but I almost fell asleep while driving home. Zionks!