R.E.M. Live At The Olympia is a double CD and DVD packed with 39 songs from their "rehearsal shows" in Dublin from 2007, where they played to smaller crowds over five nights at the Olympia Theatre.
The band used these shows to test-drive material from the album Accelerate before recording it and to treat fans to classics from all stages of their formidable career. They graciously offered C&L the chance to premiere one of the clips, and we happily accepted.
The set comes out on October 27th. It's pretty obvious from this clip that they still pack the vitriol and passion that most bands that have been cranking for 29 years have lost long ago.
(BTW, R.E.M. is the first concert I ever went to -- my Dad took me to see them at the Felt Forum in New York City for my 7th birthday (I thought I was older until I Googled the show). Legendary indie-rockers The Feelies opened, so technically they're the first live band I ever saw, but my only memory is of R.E.M. playing "Superman" and "Fall on Me", and being generally mesmerized by live rock music for the first time.)
