06.06.2008
USA, Chicago, United Center
R.E.M. // Chicago // 06.06.2008
exc. Aud.

Disc 1: [53:11]
01. Band Entrance [0:32]
02. Living Well Is The Best Entrance [3:22]
03. These Days [3:36]
04. Begin The Begin [3:35]
05. What's The Frequency, Kenneth? [4:01]
06. Pilgrimage [4:04]
07. Banter [0:51]
08. Hollow Man [3:02]
09. Animal [3:59]
10. Man-Sized Wreath [2:42]
11. Intro [0:55]
12. Ignoreland [5:02]
13. The Great Beyond [4:00]
14. The Great Beyond (Reprise) [0:51]
15. Accelerate [4:09]
16. Houston [2:06]
17. Michael Story [1:55]
18. Electrolite [4:19]

Disc 2: [1:04:29]
01. The One I Love [3:48]
02. The Final Straw [4:31]
03. Find The River [4:36]
04. Let Me In [3:43]
05. Walk Unafraid [3:54]
06. Orange Crush [3:44]
07. Horse To Water [2:15]
08. Bad Day [4:35]
09. I'm Gonna DJ [2:05]
10. Encore Break [3:58]
11. Supernatural Superserious [4:31]
12. Pretty Persuasion [3:58]
13. Barack Obama Endorsement [2:26]
14. Losing My Religion [5:04]
15. Fall On Me [3:12] *
16. Banter [2:37]
17. Man On The Moon [5:26]

* w/Johnny Marr

Source:  Audio Technica AT-899 omnis => Edirol R-09
Transfer: R-09 => WAV => Magix Audio Cleaning Lab => WAV => FLAC (level 8)
Location: Beside stage, Left side (~6 rows up)

Comments:
One would only know that R.E.M. was a week into their new tour because of the number of blown intros (3); otherwise, the band was a well-oiled machine that ran through a great setlist at a rapid pace. This show was without a doubt the best R.E.M. performance in Chicago since 1986. The setlist was a great mix of new material, old "hits," and obscure tracks; the band was leaping around and enjoying themselves, and the sound (where I was next to the stage, anyway) was perfect. This show well exceeded my expectations and the below-sellout crowd (the 300 level was half-empty) seemed to agree. An amazing show.

I was side stage under the left stack in a great recording spot. (Apparently it is also a good place for drunken idiots to congregate; there were many nearby.) Aside from Whistling Guy, a 50-something gray-haired Harley-shirt-wearing guy in front of me who impressed his 25-year-old girlfriend with his whistling skills BETWEEN EVERY SONG, the audience is a non-factor. You'll get tired of hearing Whistling Guy after every song, but it's not ear-shattering and almost never interferes with the music.  

The mix was perfect; I think this is the best audience recording I've made at the United Center. There is none of the airplane-hangar reverb one often gets there, and the high end was crystal-clear.

Dimeadozen.org: Torrent 355439 (by raya)