I can have two different answers to the question “how many times did you see R.E.M. in concert?” I saw them twice on the Green tour and then once on each tour after that. That makes seven. However, the real answer is eight because I saw them once before any of those shows, but wasn’t paying attention to them at all.

The anniversary of that show, which took place at the Capitol Centre outside of DC, just passed us. I went with some of my siblings to see The Police, the main act for that show. This marked the second time I had seen them in concert. The first time, the opening act was The Go-Go’s. That was an amazing show with two of the hottest bands in the world at the time. However, before the second Police concert, my siblings informed me that all opening acts sucked. Don’t pay attention because it’s not worth it, they said.

I was 14 at the time. I didn’t really know any better. I had kinda sorta heard of R.E.M., this new band with a critically acclaimed album out. But I gave in to the peer pressure of my siblings and really didn’t give them a moment’s notice. What a mistake.

I do remember a few things. Michael Stipe introduced the band as The Beatles which elicited Booos from many people in attendance. They played manically. I didn’t really know it at the time, but I was seeing the early stages of jumping, bouncing Peter Buck on guitar. Stipe whirled and whirled while Mike Mills provided endless energy across the stage. You barely noticed Bill Berry, unless you listened to the incredible beat which drove all the songs.

Those songs however were lost to me. I wouldn’t have known them even if I paid attention, but if I had ignored the conversation with my brothers and sisters and listened to the band, I may have had an inkling to go out and buy a copy of Murmur. That day didn’t come for three or four more years when I was in college and knew better.

Even with the extensive collection of bootlegs out there, I don’t think a recording of this show exists. If it does, I have not been able to find it. However, I did recently find the songs below. This came from a show a few days earlier when the band opened for The Police at JFK Stadium in Philly (the picture above is from that show). This was a shorter set, and the recording is missing the first two songs. But I can kind of get a sense of what they sounded like, even if I can’t accurately recreate that memory.