So I bitched enough about the set list in my most recent post, I think. I’ll now share one of those moments that only get you jazzed if you are a total geek for a band.

Two-thirds of the way through the set, R.E.M. busts into “These Days.” I love this song. I probably wouldn’t think of putting it on my top five or top 10 list, but everytime I hear it, I remember how awesome it is.

Part of the reason is that “Life’s Rich Pageant” got me into the band. I had heard “Superman” a million times at parties and had “Rockville” on a mix tape I scrapped from a friend. So during Christmas break, I bought the tape of Pageant at Record and Tape Traders in my hometown of Catonsville, Md. This was at the old basement-type location so if you know Catonsville, you know this is old school.

I bought Pageant because it was the cheapest cassette they had for R.E.M. What a great decision. I graduated to the rest of their catalog, and the rest is history.

Because I am a total Internet geek and an R.E.M. obsessive, I have tried to hunt down the real (or so-called real) lyrics of the band’s songs. “These Days” is one of those songs where one word melts into another. I know what Michael is singing, but most people probably don’t.

As the first verse rolled into the chorus last week, I sang the words that even Peter Buck said he didn’t know until a few years ago:

I had a hat and it sunk, reached down, emptied it, slapped it on my head

The guy in the row in front of me turned around in almost shock that someone else knew the lyrics flawlessly. We may not really know the meaning of that line, but we know it cold. He held up his hand, and we high-fived to celebrate our special bond.

Stuff like that will compensate for my feelings on what songs they played and didn’t play. The guys on the stage speak to me for some strange reason, even if I have no idea what they mean at times. And I like knowing others feel the same way.