Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy Announce R.E.M’s ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ Tribute Tour

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy, photo by Christy Bush

Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy have announced another R.E.M. tribute tour, this time celebrating the 40th anniversary of Lifes Rich Pageant. From Feb. 11 to March 16 of next year, the unlikely duo of the revered actor and indie veteran will make 22 stops across the country, resurrecting R.E.M.’s fourth studio album in full alongside a mix of classics from the band’s broader catalog. This will be their third annual tribute outing, following this year’s anniversary celebration for Fables of the Reconstruction and a 2024 series honoring the same landmark for Murmur.

“It dumbfounds and delights me that we continue our crusade through this astounding catalogue of music from one of America’s most influential and unique bands,” Shannon said in a release. “Now we find ourselves at a summit, LIFES RICH PAGEANT, and we’re all pinching ourselves in disbelief to be so lucky. The most strange and beautiful adventure.”

“I’m thrilled to join Michael and our band in celebrating the 40th anniversary of R.E.M.’s monumental fourth album,” Narducy echoed. “This impeccable collection of songs meant so much to me when I first heard them and they continue to inspire and invigorate me.”

Shannon and Narducy’s next run will feature support from drummer Jon Wurster, bassist John Stirratt, guitarist Dag Juhlin and keyboardist Vijay Tellis-Nayak. They’ll hit the road with a tour opener at Denver’s Summit, then move to the Pacific Northwest with shows in Seattle and Portland, Ore., where they welcomed R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck for a surprise guest spot in February. Other notable stops include San Francisco’s Fillmore, Los Angeles’ Bellwether, Austin, Texas’ Emo’s, New Orleans’ House of Blues, Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club, Philadelphia’s Union Transfer, Boston’s Royale, Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Brooklyn Steel, Chicago’s Metro, Minneapolis’ First Ave and two nights at Athens, Ga.’s 40 Watt Club–the iconic punk venue that hosted R.E.M. in their early years.

Shannon and Narducy’s Fables of the Reconstruction tour elicited several unexpected sit-ins from R.E.M. members, but none topped their stand at the 40 Watt Club, where Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Buck and Bill Berry joined in for an uncoordinated, impromptu reunion. The full ensemble’s treatment of “Pretty Persuasion” was their first really public performance since 2007, though they joined forces at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony last June. At the track’s end, the famously smoldering Shannon fawned with gratitude: “Oh my god, oh my god. Oh-my-god-oh-my-god. Oh my god! Oh my fucking god, that’s just… Guys, this is a special place where dreams come true.”

Tickets for Shannon and Narducy’s 2026 tour will go on sale tomorrow, Sept. 19, at 10 a.m. local. Learn more at concertedefforts.com.