For the past 12 years, actor Michael Shannon and musician Jason Narducy (Bob Mould Band, Superchunk, Sunny Day Real Estate) have collaborated to play entire albums live by some of their favorite artists such as Neil Young, the Modern Lovers, Bob Dylan, the Smiths and T. Rex. The concerts have received widespread acclaim, and the two will bring their latest R.E.M. tribute to Globe Iron on Tuesday, March 10.
The original meeting between Narducy and Shannon didn’t suggest a decade-long musical relationship would ensue. At that time, singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks hosted a Monday night residency at the Hideout, a Chicago music venue. He called Narducy to see if he would want to play with a band that would cover Lou Reed’s The Blue Mask. Narducy did, and Shannon was brought in to sing it.
“That was the first time we met,” says Narducy via phone from his Evanston, IL home. “We practiced at my house and the night before and did the show, and it went really well. Michael and I chatted a little bit. I think we had a discussion about some indie rock bands we liked. It was friendly, but we didn’t exchange numbers. We did another show with Robbie at the Metro doing T. Rex shows. Robbie moved to L.A., and Michael wanted to keep doing shows. He called me to book a band to play the Smiths’ album The Queen Is Dead. It became an annual thing. We would do Bob Dylan or T. Rex or Neil Young or Modern Lovers.”
Narducy enjoyed working with Shannon, and a friendship blossomed. In 2023, they played [R.E.M.’s] Murmur in its entirety, and people outside of Chicago started to notice.
“That got a lot of traction,” says Narducy. “There was a lot of chatter about it. Promoters around the country asked us about it. We did a short nine-day tour. I think Michael [Shannon] had trepidation, but it went really well. After it wrapped, he was very positive about moving forward with it. [A tour featuring the 1985 album] Fables from the Reconstruction went well, and we’re trying to do it again.”
With [R.E.M. singer] Michael Stipe’s tendency to mumble his way through songs, figuring out lyrics can be challenging. Narducy says he focuses on the guitar parts but admitted that the group was stumped by the backing vocals on the Lifes Rich Pageant track “Hyena.”
“I just texted [R.E.M. bassist] Mike Mills because I couldn’t figure out what he was singing, and it’s different from show to show on live recordings,” says Narducy. “He responded that he had to think about it. He changed it from show to show. I thought that was great because I couldn’t mess it up. He sent me a version that makes sense. He said I could use all of it or none of it or some of it. There’s some freedom there. Fortunately, most people who come to these shows want to revel in these beautiful songs that this band wrote. It’s not Rush. It’s jangly pop songs and very moving slow tempo songs and an amazing catalog of songs. Hopefully, the way we present them in a way that people enjoy.”
Narducy says he’s well aware he’ll be just steps away from the Cuyahoga River when they play the Lifes Rich Pageant track “Cuyahoga,” a song that references the river’s burning.
“We love that,” he says. “When we did the Fables tour, we met Adam [Granduciel] from War on Drugs that night. He asked if he could come to the show when it was in L.A., where he lives. We asked him if he wanted to sing a song with us, and he said, ‘Yeah.’ He must be a massive fan. He wanted to sing ‘Cuyahoga.’ We did not have it on the setlist, but we learned the song, and it went over great. By the time we got to the UK, it turned into a fan favorite. The crowd would sing the chorus louder than us. It’s a good idea of how much the record resonates. We have talked about the location of that [Cleveland] show and how important that song will be for the set.”
Narducy says Shannon, known for roles in film and TV, is well aware of the potential for cliché. After all, many actors aim to be rock stars, and many rock stars aim to be actors. The skills don’t always transfer.
“I completely understand the trepidation people would have about our project,” says Narducy. “It can be tricky to describe it to folks. Michael Shannon would be the first to tell you that he despises actors who think they are singers. But I like how researched he is. There are some similarities to acting. He will do a ton of research. Then, when it’s time to roll, you go on instinct. You let the research do its thing. He has a unique talent and knack for being a front person. We are fortunate to have someone who is so hard working and has a tone of humility and love for the music. When the person at the top of marque is that like, it makes it easy for the band to follow.”
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