Over the past few years, actor Michael Shannon and indie rock vet Jason Narducy have surprisingly found themselves playing an important role in the legacy of one of the South's most iconic bands of all time: R.E.M.
Narducy, who most recently has toured with Superchunk, Bob Mould, and Sunny Day Real Estate, was first introduced to Shannon in 2014 by the musician and songwriter Robbie Fulks.
From 2010 until 2017 Fulks hosted a residency at the Chicago venue The Hideout.
"(Fulks) would change the show drastically from week to week, and this particular time he wanted to perform Lou Reed's 'The Blue Mask' in its entirety," Narducy said. "He brought me in to play bass, and (Shannon) in to sing, and that was the first time we met."
After that show, Shannon and Narducy hit it off and continued collaborating on one-off performances where they would pick a classic album to cover from front to back. In 2023, they played R.E.M.'s first record "Murmur" in its entirety. That performance connected with people in a big way and led to the duo receiving offers from promoters around the country asking them to bring the show to their venues.
"I asked (Shannon) if he wanted to do a small tour and he said he'd never done that, so let's try it," Narducy said. "We did a nine-day tour in 2024 celebrating 'Murmur,' and that went really well so in 2025 we did another celebrating 'Fables of the Reconstruction.'"
The shows on these tours have been a big hit with both audiences and the members of R.E.M. themselves. In 2024 when Shannon and Narducy played the 40 Watt Club in R.E.M.'s hometown of Athens, Georgia, all four members of R.E.M. joined in and performed together for the first time in 17 years. When Shannon and Narducy returned in 2025, it happened again.
"I think one of the most rewarding things about this project is being able to see them in person and to see the love they have for each other," Narducy said. "It's just a beautiful thing to see a band that went through so many things over the decades still care for each other. It's really unique."
This year Shannon and Narducy are back on the road celebrating 40 years of R.E.M.'s 1986 album "Life's Rich Pageant." It's a record that holds a special place in Narducy's heart. "I think of the first five R.E.M. records, that's the one that connected with me the most," he said.
The show comes to Cat's Cradle in Carrboro Saturday night and like most stops on the tour, it sold out well in advance. Narducy says that the success of this project speaks to the timelessness of R.E.M.'s music.
"I think that the way they conducted themselves resonates with their fans," he said. "There was a mystery to the music and a poetry to Michael's lyrics, and obviously his voice is unlike anybody else. They're four guys who are pretty down to earth. They seem very comfortable with their legacy which is honestly rare in bands that reach that level of success."
Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy and Friends will be performing R.E.M.'s 'Life's Rich Pageant' at Cat's Cradle on Saturday night. Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait opens the show.
