R.E.M. about Athens and starting the band

[@andrewbeattie244]

I remember buying the Murmur album in 1985,this album still blows me away to this day.The Belfast poet Andrew Beattie.

[@66flamer]

In about 1985, my brother said I have this cassette tape of this band. Called REM. He turned on the cassette and I remember thinking this band is going to be huge. He had only played a couple songs from the cassette. The cassette was REM's Murmer. Out of sheer luck in 1986 I got to see them perform in Grand Rapids Michigan.

[@stevesahagian3658]

Really?? Are you talking about the little High School in GR? That was an awesome show!!

[@66flamer]

@@stevesahagian3658 no the show I saw was in 1986 at a place called Welsh Auditorium which is in downtown Grand Rapids. And it was packed.

[@dbrandmill]

Am I the only one who hears the first few notes of Orange Crush in my head everytime R.E.M. is talked about?

[@souleater0815]

Yep. I hear that god awful Losing My Religion.

[@rbraxley]

I wasn't one of the thousands who somehow squeezed into the church, but I was at Memorial Hall, and Tyrones, and 40 Watt, and Legion Field and . . . My Hamburg moment. They knew how to make show right from the beginning. The Athens scene was so exciting during that period--saw so many amazing bands.

[@amberstarrfaw]

rbraxley still exciting

[@overallgreatidea6433]

Legion field was especially cool- I believe those were University Union concerts; UU also sponsored the Memorial Hall shows and some at the Fine Arts building. Also Stitchcraft, Odyssey, Georgia Theatre, even Harry's Pizza had a few interesting acts. Awesome times

[@rbraxley]

@@overallgreatidea6433 I probably saw four shows a week during that period, between the 40 Watt (on Broad) and the grungy little Uptown Lounge (where I often saw Art in the Dark), and at other venues too. The one Athens band I never saw was B-52s--they were off to NYC before I moved to town.

[@overallgreatidea6433]

@@rbraxley I forgot about the Uptown. And there was some club in the upstairs corner of one of the big buildings downtown with creaky wooden floors, a big open space. I also forgot about the B&L Warehouse. Saw the B-52s a couple times but the best was in the Coliseum. All my friends were at the stage but off to the side so we could have room to dance. KIller show I wish there had been GoPros back then.

[@overallgreatidea6433]

@@rbraxley I 'll look up Art in the Dark. I remember the name. There was also Alan's in Normaltown. I think the house band was Normaltown Flyers or something like that. One of the best shows I ever saw anywhere was Jason and the Nashville Scorchers in the 40 Watt on Broad. I took my little kids to see Jason's "Farmer Jason" kiddie act in Marietta, GA some 30 years later. Just remembered I saw Flat Duo Jets on a bitterly cold night at a frat house too. They were either inspired or really trying to stay warm, lol best2u

[@johnackerman438]

Nacent : just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.

[@quillber]

*Nascent 😏

[@kierstenh9225]

Saved me a trip to Google to look up the definition of that word! Thanks!

[@papa_pt]

doesn't have anything to do with future potential just coming into existence

[@katiestarling665]

I'm so proud to call Athens home!!!

[@reverendfleshhammer]

Me 2!

[@ST-xg3gy]

Are you a model?

[@forestfire1232]

@@ST-xg3gy simp

[@JohnDoe-sx2zk]

@@forestfire1232 mega simp. its pathetic

[@deirdre108]

I grew up there though don't live there anymore. I was in the last graduating class of old Athens High.

[@jude999]

When I think of Athens I think vegan chocolate chip pancakes at The Grit.

[@amberstarrfaw]

When I hear the GRIT I think of “eat the drunk away”

[@papa_pt]

weak biscuits

[@ilcineanunes5251]

Mesmo eu não entendendo oq Elis fala eu amo muito eli ❤❤❤

[@tarp11z]

It's interesting how some towns are like an artistic petri dish. Athens, Sea-Tac, Austin, Nashville, New Orleans, Chicago, San Francisco, Greenwich Village, Woodstock, Harlem. Europe has its equivalents. You can't create it, you can hardly predict it. You just have to peer in wide wonder at it after the fact. And if you're there when it happens, how lucky you are. Join a band.

[@Gieves244]

Great place!

[@jacoroux8700]

thanks for posting.

[@MrMkayultra]

Hey dudes saw you at Showtime Bowl when I worked there in 2006

[@MrMkayultra]

Saw y'all at 40 Watt

[@ilcineanunes5251]

Eli e meu sonho 💖💖

[@anamariaestanislaafernande3892]

Good times..👍👏👏🇪🇬🌷

[@deadletteroffice-atributet3261]

Neat.

[@mrcoffee5909]

gosh...Mike wore that shirt out!

[@ilcineanunes5251]

❤❤👏👏👏

[@dynjarren7523]

It’s unbelievable how many great rock talents came from such obscure places. I’m not putting Athens or any place down. I’m sure it’s a fine place! Its just that most of the great groups or people come from places you wouldn’t expect. Like Tulsa, Liverpool, Athens, Aberdeen etc. Definitely not from the major cities for the most part.

[@urbangorilla33]

It's a valid but but I'd point out that Liverpool is a pretty major city within Britain though it declined in the post-war period.

[@overallgreatidea6433]

Or great talents that never make it. I saw a guy play Skynyrd's "Call Me the Breeze" with an electric guitar, barefooted a keyboard with his toes to a drum track. Nailed the guitar, got most of the notes on the keyboard. Small town in north Alabama

[@amberstarrfaw]

Proud to say Athens here too!!!

[@SkywalkerSamadhi]

What's the name of that first song underneath him talking about sharing books and movies and such?? I totally forgot all about that song and really liked it, but haven't heard it for years!!!!

[@costeris35]

That’s Drive from automatic for the people. Great song.

[@SkywalkerSamadhi]

@@costeris35 yeah. I spent 20 minutes looking through songs until my wife asked me why I didn't just Google one of the lines of the song and find it like that. 🤦🤦🤦 It's one of my favorite songs by them. 🙇😃

[@libihake]

This is part of a larger program. Does anyone know the name of the program and who made it?

[@DontLetTheOldManIn]

Thank you. Same here. How can they not tell that???

[@lifeisjusttodie]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o53Xq3adm8ugq80

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales7218]

Michael Stipe 04/01/1960 62 años

[@chadlong1109]

6:12 Isn't the male version of Patti Smith just Televison's Tom Verlaine? That's where she got that voice from.

[@miked7374]

❤️

[@aakajs8992]

Damn this is a hippy town wow

[@therubberduck1165]

I love Athens

[@duckbrew]

That Tube appearance was not from '86...More like '84

[@grumpyflyweight]

1983, actually.

[@NoCoverCharge]

oh the stories i could tell...

[@bhuvidya]

go on...:)

[@amberstarrfaw]

No Cover Charge same here!!! Especially the rides home from a concert or club venture

[@amberstarrfaw]

Started w leaving home (30 mins at most) and have to go back country roads avoiding cops in downtown and of course someone’s gotta pee (my younger cousin & best friend) so you pull over & hold her hands as she pops a squat peeing then you let go and let her fall into a cow pattie Bahahaha GOOOD TIMES

[@NoCoverCharge]

@@amberstarrfaw been there... yes once outside downton it was country as fuck... luckily i did get to live downtown Athens for about 5 years that was so much fun... i miss those days 87-95 in Athens

[@MrMkayultra]

I miss Athens Ga& Bogart

[@MrMkayultra]

That is Georgia Theater

[@Impailer67]

my best man was a kilkenny cat and i somewhat recently lost a friend who was in timetoy,,i lived in the (compound) corner of satula and easy,,did you ever visit the compound in the 90s?

[@Impailer67]

hey mike if it wasnt for this hippie cowtown youd be flippin burgers at the varsity,lol

[@Impailer67]

i was there(still am) i knew old stippy and crew,.Mike has always been a bit arrogant even before they made it out of the 40 watt, Mike mills is a nice fella, bills too euro stinky,peter i never got to meet (always busy) i do have to admit they have invested alot in our cowtown..i still prefer the killkenny cats love tractor and the 52s,,,,athens as a whole pushed murmur onto the dial.south central rain sounded just like all the other mush mouthed crap goin on back then..anyway get down here and do some more interviewing . we're still hip..

[@leighhogan9006]

Don't let Dano Man get away with not telling you when and where: Loco's on Timothy Road, next shows Sept 6 and Oct 18. Lee Walton, Russ Bell, and Chris Queen are back together. You won't regret the trip!

[@michaelrfitzgerald3982]

what is a hippie cow town?

[@boycewebb1435]

MICHAEL R Fitzgerald A conservative Football college with the occasional cool people that were into good music.

[@DontLetTheOldManIn]

It is God's Country. You should visit! Don't listen to the haters. They're probably Gator fans.

[@carlos66965]

apparently it's athens

[@ilcineanunes5251]

Poxa 😔eu não entendo a língua dele sou brasileira❤

[@REMONSTER]

Speed freaks? Do they know Lemmy?

[@BarryMiller2956]

he's referring to uppers.

[@jeffbrown-hill7739]

When he says "we were speed freaks", does he mean they were into amphetamines, or that they literally just liked to play fast? I think it may be both.

[@searing7549]

Jeff Brown-Hill amphetamines

[@christiantoma5917]

i don’t think they did drugs guys

[@jeffbrown-hill7739]

@@christiantoma5917 Sure...

[@roverdad]

In the context of the quote it had to do with the music.

[@mrcoffee5909]

wow...love how Michael Stops is wearing a hoodie! talking about being completely and utterly ahead of the rest! 😄

[@twerk182]

Stop

[@TheBloodiac]

Actually because of Michael Stipe I found the music of Patti Smith. And what a great find it was! :)

[@hinder57]

Athens is home.

[@arricammarques1955]

Radio Free Europe : )

[@seanwalsh5717]

1:16 Nascent is totally a word, and you pronounced it correctly.

[@billysbains]

wen rem had hair

[@Jeremy-th5pt]

"To be different is to be brave" Goes on to say we all went to the same shows with the same people. Got it. Different.

[@MrMkayultra]

Athens Ga. Miss you Not!

[@MrMkayultra]

Athens is not a fucking hippie cow town! Wasn't then!

[@charlesdjones1]

I'm from Monroe and for 38 years every time I go there that's exactly what it feels like.

[@sexobscura]

*Schizophrenia - 101*

[@jasonchui7256]

The chief perch molecularly chop because postbox impressively crawl amid a black soup. acceptable, shocking ornament