Being an R.E.M. fan is like being orphaned in the nicest way possible. The band’s members are alive and well and still friendly with each other, but since its breakup, in 2011—in what must rank as the most amicable dissolution in the history of rock—a full-scale reunion has never been on the table.
Nature, however, abhors a vacuum, and the band’s devotees have had some unexpected options lately. Take twice-Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon, who is now spending almost as much time singing in an R.E.M. tribute band with indie-rock stalwart Jason Narducy as he is starring in films. Their tour is hitting the U.K. this summer.
