In 1986, REM released Lifes Rich Pageant, the band’s fourth studio album, striking a harder note than their previous releases. The band came forward with ambition to make a radio-friendly album and to plant their flag in the ground.
But as friends have told me in conversations leading up to a recent salute to the album by Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy at 9:30 Club (more about them in a moment), it was an important album to them because they saw frontman Michael Stipe gain new confidence and emerge as a more outspoken person.
REM called it a day in 2011, and so here we are on the 40th anniversary of this remarkably affecting album without an active band. Enter the thoughtful actor Michael Shannon and the indie rock guitar great Jason Narducy. They recruited friends and hit the road to play Lifes Rich Pageant in its entirety — and a bunch of other REM songs — to mark the anniversary on a tour that included a date at 9:30 Club.
Most of you reading this already know that this wasn’t the first time Michael and Jason did this gig. This was the third time they have been to DC: They first came to Black Cat in 2024 to play REM’s debut album, Murmur, in full. The act originated from a one-time performance in Chicago, and demand grew so much that they did it again and took it on the road. In 2025, Michael and Jason returned to DC for their first time at 9:30 Club to honor Fables of the Reconstruction in celebration of that third album’s 40th anniversary.
That brings us to their Lifes Rich Pageant Tour and their March 3 show at 9:30 Club. They guys killed it. It was the best show I’ve seen from them to date, and they already started out really great. There was a tremendous comfort and familiarity and that resulted in a show that moved like a well-oiled machine.
For the first set of the sold-out show, Michael and Jason and friends played the 12 tracks of Lifes Rich Pageant in tracklist order, much to the delight of the crowd.
Stream Lifes Rich Pageant by REM on Spotify:
The gents settled in for a long 30-song setlist, and people were transfixed. Michael Shannon sang and emoted with natural ease, treading respectfully on this hallowed ground with grace. Jason Narducy played with an expert ear, imparting his personal flair to REM’s guitar genius. They are accompanied by John Stirratt (bass), Jon Wurster (drums), Dag Juhlin (guitar), and Vijay Tellis-Nayak (keyboards — and banjo on the affecting “I Believe”). They are a formidable ensemble!
Michael wasn’t shy about engaging the crowd, but he often deferred to Jason, who shared stories of the road and calls for supporting charitable causes. I suspect Jason is the friendliest and most earnest man in rock and roll, and so this role suits him very well.
I was very pleased also to catch opener Bobcat Goldthwait, an iconic and memorable comedic performer for us Gen X hearts. Bobcat is a very funny and easy going guy, and his show at 9:30 Club leaned well on the fact that he’s a household name among people of a certain age but also his current working man persona. He regaled us with humorous tales of his years working as a television director for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, including being starstruck by Sesame Street’s Grover. Bobcat is gold, and you can see a few photos of him at the end of this blog post if you keep scrolling!
It’s truly moving to see the emotions elicited by Shannon and Narducy’s REM tribute. In the past few weeks, men my own age have spoken eloquently to me of how much Lifes Rich Pageant meant to them. It’s truly a remarkable thing to witness the resulting admiration for what Michael and Jason do. I recommend you check them out for yourself!
Here are some photos of Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy, and company performing live at 9:30 Club on March 3, 2026. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.
And here are some pictures of the terrific Bobcat Goldthwait at 9:30 Club!
