Nice Work Host Tyler Lake caught a bit of a strange show at the Bluebird recently. A cover band fronted by the actor Michael Shannon, known for his intense performances in The Shape of Water, Boardwalk Empire, Nocturnal Animals, and if none of that is ringing a bell he played Zod, in the 2013 Superman revisit Man of Steel. He was joined by some indie rock all-stars, including Jason Narducy (Bob Mould Band, Superchunk), Jon Wurster (The Mountain Goats), John Stirratt (Wilco), Dag Juhlin, and Vijay Tellis-Nayak.
They were touring, or covering, or touring a cover?, of R.E.M.’s 1986 record Life’s Rich Pageant. Mostly playing larger cities, they made an exception to come to Bloomington, likely on account of Life’s Rich Pageant having been recorded just outside of town at John Mellencamp’s Belmont Mall Studio. Writer and critic Stephen Deusner joined Tyler in the studio to talk about that show and what it meant for him and other R.E.M. fans.
