R.E.M. Taps Mercury Rev, Wilco, And Spacehog As Opening Acts

03/23/1999 4:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(3/23/99, 1 p.m. PST) - Back when R.E.M. announced its first tour since 1995 (LAUNCH, 2/8) bassist/ keyboardist Mike Mills wasn't sure who the group would tap as opening acts, but he vowed that it would be "someone compatible or maybe isn't. Actually, we just want to get someone that we want to watch every night."

R.E.M. has not disappointed. Mercury Rev will open the West Coast dates, most of which go on sale this weekend, with Wilco stepping in for the Midwest swing and Spacehog taking on the East Coast dates. The band's three-night stand in Atlanta will feature three different opening acts--Elf Power, Wilco, and the Olivia Tremor Control. During R.E.M.'s career, the band has had a history of inviting quality acts--ranging from the Dream Syndicate and the Three O'Clock to 10,000 Maniacs and Robyn Hitchcock--to fill the opening spots on its tours.

In addition to the support acts, the band has also chosen to forgo the arena route on this tour in favor of more intimate theaters. "All the places we're playing are places we really wanted to go to," Mills explained. "We wanted to play outdoors, because it's the summertime. We, like everyone else, want to be outdoors, because it's the summertime. We're not playing the enormodome, because that's where you can pack in the most people." The band hasn't played some of those venues--including the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and Red Rocks in Denver--in years. In fact, the band last played Red Rocks back in the early '80s as a support act for the English Beat, Mills recalled.

While some have speculated that R.E.M. opted to tour in an attempt to boast the tepid sales of latest release Up, Mills maintained that's not the case. "I don't want anybody to get the idea that we are doing this because the record isn't selling well," he said. "We're doing a tour because we like to play. That's why I'm in a band, to play music. I think the notion of touring to sell a record is overrated, anyway."

During the dates, the band plans to focus on material from Up and New Adventures In Hi-Fi, because "that's stuff that we really haven't done much live, and we'll find some old chestnuts, and we'll rework some things." For example, the band recently played Murmur album track "Pretty Persuasion" during a European promotional show. "We hadn't played that song in more than 10 years. We just decided to do it during the show. I wouldn't say it sounded like the record," Mills quipped, "but it was really exciting."

Initially, the band scrapped tour plans, saying it was not comfortable working as a three-piece following the departure of drummer Bill Berry (LAUNCH, 8/21/98). "The promo tour we did last fall was so much fun. Once we got acclimated to being a three-piece band, we decided we were happy about it and felt good about it, so we'll go out and play."

Mills added that the band is happy with its extended touring lineup, which includes Beck drummer Joey Waronker, and multi-instrumentalists Scott McCaughey of the Young Fresh Fellows and Ken Stringfellow, formerly of the Posies. "That's another thing that made us feel good about going ahead with this," he explained. "They're all consummate musicians and really good people as well. We feel comfortable playing with them, we like what they do to our music…and they're fun to hang out with."

Added Mills, "I don't want to get schmaltzy about it, but we're all really excited this. Everyone is totally looking forward to it."

Here's the itinerary for R.E.M.'s U.S. tour with the on-sale date and time, and opening act.

8/9-10 - Los Angeles, The Greek Theatre (March 28, 10 a.m.) w/ Mercury Rev
8/11 - Laguna Hills, Calif., Irvine Meadows (March 28, 10 a.m.) w/ Mercury Rev
8/13 - Mountain View, Calif., Shoreline (March 28, 10 a.m.) w/ Mercury Rev
8/15 - Denver, Red Rocks (March 27, 10 a.m.) w/ Mercury Rev
8/17 - San Antonio, Texas, Retama Park (April 10/10 a.m.) w/ Mercury Rev and Wilco
8/19 - St. Louis, Riverport (April 9, 5 p.m.) w/ Wilco
8/20 - Chicago, The World (already on sale) w/ Wilco
8/21 - St. Paul, Minn., Midway Stadium (March, 27, 10 a.m.) w/ Wilco
8/23 - Detroit, Pine Knob (April 3, 10 a.m.) w/ Wilco
8/24 - Toronto, Molson (March 27, 10 a.m.) w/ Wilco
8/25 - Cleveland, Blossom (April 10, 10 a.m.) w/ Wilco
8/27 - Raleigh, N.C., Walnut Creek (March 26, 10 a.m.) w/ Wilco
8/29 - Atlanta, Chastain (March 27, 10 a.m.) w/ Elf Power
8/30 - Atlanta, Chastain, Wilco
8/31 - Atlanta, Chastain, w/ the Olivia Tremor Control
9/2 - Seattle, Bumbershoot (April 9, 10 a.m.) TBA
9/4 - Wantagh, N.Y., Jones Beach (April 10, 10 a.m.) w/ Spacehog
9/5 - Camden, N.J., Blockbuster (April 10, 10 a.m.) w/ Spacehog
9/6 - Holmdel, N.J., PNC Art Center (April 10, 10 a.m.) w/ Spacehog
9/10 - Columbia, Md., Merriweather (March 27, 10 a.m.) w/ Spacehog
9/11 - Boston, Great Woods (April 3, 10 a.m.) w/ Spacehog

Features on R.E.M., Wilco, and the Olivia Tremor Control are avilable now on LAUNCH.com. Features on Robyn Hitchcock and Mercury Rev are coming soon.

Check out an interactive interview with R.E.M. in Issue 24 of LAUNCH CD-ROM.

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