{"id":65241,"date":"2026-03-13T14:58:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T19:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=65241"},"modified":"2026-03-13T17:39:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:39:15","slug":"live-review-michael-shannon-jason-narducy-celebrate-lifes-rich-pageant-at-metro-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=65241","title":{"rendered":"Live Review: Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy Celebrate R.E.M.’s Life\u2019s Rich Pageant On Its 40th Anniversary At Metro Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Kelly Clausen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some tribute shows feel like nostalgia exercises. Others feel like living, breathing celebrations of music that still matters. Last night’s sold out show at the Metro (1 of 2 mind you), actor-turned-frontman Michael Shannon and Chicago music lifer Jason Narducy delivered the latter, an electrifying, heartfelt performance honoring R.E.M.\u2019s landmark 1986 album ‘Life’s Rich Pageant’ for its 40th anniversary. And as someone who has seen R.E.M. several times in her life, this was about as close as you can get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before the guitars rang out, the night opened with something entirely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comedy legend Bobcat Goldthwait took the stage for a half-hour stand-up set that felt more like story time with one of rock\u2019s most eccentric uncles. Goldthwait riffed on his recent move to Ireland, joking that the locals still haven\u2019t quite figured out his famously chaotic comedic style. He wandered through hilarious anecdotes about his life with The Walking Dead<\/em> star and newly married wife Pollyanna McIntosh, their travels, and perhaps most bizarrely, life on the road with pet ducks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Goldthwait also took aim at the aging demographic of the crowd, poking fun at the aches and pains that come with getting older, especially in a room filled with fans who were around when Life\u2019s Rich Pageant<\/em> first dropped in 1986. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And just when it seemed the set couldn\u2019t get stranger, Goldthwait closed things out with a song. Yes, a song. He called out for his guitarist friend, Jason Narducy to join him on stage. The comedian belted out a gloriously awkward rendition of Y.M.C.A. by Village People, leaving the crowd laughing and slightly bewildered before the main event began. Saying, “Trump has taking this song from us”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Video https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1nf8XtV-h5c<\/a> – Bobcat doing the YMCA at Metro:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shannon and Narducy\u2019s tribute tour, now extending well into 2026, celebrates the 40th anniversary of Life\u2019s Rich Pageant<\/em>, widely considered one of R.E.M.\u2019s defining records. The pair performed the album exactly as promised: live, in its entirety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From the punchy urgency of \u201cBegin the Begin\u201d to the jangling drive of \u201cThese Days\u201d and the politically charged \u201cCuyahoga,\u201d the songs sounded remarkably alive. This wasn\u2019t a note-for-note museum recreation, it was a full-bodied rock performance that captured the spirit of the album. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the center of it all was Shannon. Best known for his intense film roles, Shannon has quietly become an incredibly convincing interpreter of Michael Stipe\u2019s vocals and stage presence and more surprisingly, his vocal tone. Throughout the night, Shannon\u2019s voice often carried a striking resemblance to Stipe\u2019s distinctive baritone. The phrasing, the slightly nasal resonance, and the emotional weight he placed behind certain lines made songs like \u201cFall on Me\u201d and \u201cCuyahoga\u201d feel uncannily authentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It wasn\u2019t mimicry so much as a natural alignment. Shannon seems to have discovered a vocal register that sits right where Stipe\u2019s does, allowing the songs to land with the same introspective gravity and melodic warmth that defined the originals. Combined with Shannon\u2019s intense stage presence, the effect was powerful, fans weren\u2019t watching an actor play singer; they were watching someone who truly understands this music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Video: Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy live at Metro Chicago: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Narducy, the night also felt like a hometown victory lap. The Evanston-born musician, who seems to play with just about everyone in rock, was clearly thrilled to be back on stage in Chicago. At one point during the show, Narducy praised his bandmate, telling the crowd that Shannon is \u201cthe hardest working guy I know.\u201d<\/em> He pointed out that Shannon somehow balances a prolific film career with rehearsals, touring, and a genuine passion for performing this music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shannon quickly returned the compliment, calling Narducy the hardest working man he knows as well, noting how the guitarist seems to be everywhere, touring, recording, and collaborating with countless bands. Chicago fans know that\u2019s true. Narducy\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is almost absurdly deep, including touring with Bob Mould and his more recent work alongside Rick Nielsen in Nielsen Trust, whose show we, In The Loop Magazine<\/em>, covered back in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Backing Shannon and Narducy was a band that could headline its own tour. The lineup included John Stirratt on bass, bringing his unmistakable groove from Wilco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Behind the kit was Jon Wurster of Superchunk and Bob Mould fame, delivering the propulsive rhythms that kept the set moving at full speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Guitarist Dag Juhlin, known for his work with Poi Dog Pondering, added shimmering layers of jangle and grit, while keyboardist Vijay Tellis-Nayak rounded out the sonic palette. Together they sounded less like a tribute band and more like a dream lineup interpreting R.E.M.\u2019s catalog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once the final notes of Life\u2019s Rich Pageant<\/em> rang out, the band kept going, digging deep into the R.E.M. catalog for more than two hours of music that sent longtime fans into a nostalgic frenzy. But the night\u2019s most memorable moment came at the very end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the band finished what seemed like the final song and walked off stage, the crowd erupted, calling them back for an encore. Shannon stepped back to the microphone with a slightly sheepish grin. \u201cSorry, that was wrong. I shouldn\u2019t have done that,\u201d he told the audience, referring to the seeming audacity of performing an encore for music that technically wasn\u2019t his. \u201cSometimes I get a big head,<\/strong>\u201d he added with a slight chuckle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The humility was brief. Instead of a token extra tune, the band returned and ripped through seven more songs, turning the encore into a full-blown second act. Among the highlights were the haunting beauty of “Nightswimming”, the early college-radio anthem “Radio Free Europe”, and the punchy rocker “Star 69”, each greeted like a long-lost friend by the packed Metro crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Near the end, Narducy wanted to show off something for the show that night he was very proud of. A poster that was created just for the tour. Sales of which would be going to their cause, Abortion Access Front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tribute performances can sometimes feel like historical reenactments, but what Shannon, Narducy, and their powerhouse band are doing is something different. They\u2019re not simply preserving the music of R.E.M.\u2014they\u2019re keeping it alive on stage, where it belongs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty years after Life\u2019s Rich Pageant<\/em> helped define the sound of alternative rock, its songs still resonate. And on this night in Chicago, they roared back to life in front of a crowd that clearly knew every word. For a couple hours inside Metro, 1986 didn\u2019t just feel remembered, It felt present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For photos from Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy at Metro, click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For video of Superman live at the Metro, click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By Kelly Clausen Some tribute shows feel like nostalgia exercises. Others feel like living, breathing celebrations of music that still matters. Last night’s sold out show at the Metro (1 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":65218,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,39,20],"tags":[691,2146,285,1980,2145,214,834,2142,837],"class_list":["post-65241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-music-news","category-reviews","tag-40th-anniversary","tag-bobcat-goldthwait","tag-concert-review","tag-jason-narducy","tag-lifes-rich-pageant","tag-metro","tag-michael-shannon","tag-rem","tag-tribute"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=65241"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65255,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65241\/revisions\/65255"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/65218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=65241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=65241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=65241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}