Image via YouTube
On Friday, Oct. 4, the Harris/Waltz campaign touched down in Pittsburgh for a Get Out the Vote rally in the battlegrounds of Pennsylvania. In lieu of the candidates, Friday’s staging in Schenley Park bought on two more performances from high-profile acts in support of the Democratic ticket, this time tapping Michael Stipe and Jason Isbell for a four-song collaborative set.
The artists were introduced by Second Gentleman–a noted alt-rock fan–who made no efforts to disguise his excitement for the team-up, saying that he was “nerding out and geeking out” at the opportunity. Stipe and Isbell then took the stage, with the former’s performance arriving as a true rarity in recent years. The artist was most recently seen onstage during R.E.M.’s induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June, when he reconnected with his original bandmates for their first public performance together since 2007.
Introducing his set, Stipe shared, “It’s been awhile since I’ve sung these songs, 16 years in fact, but I’m really happy to be here with Jason and with the soon-to-be-ever First Gentleman of the United States of America.” He then set off the celebration with his first performance of “The One I Love” since R.E.M. parted ways in 2008, a track which was incidentally returned to Isbell’s repertoire with a bust-out in June.
Isbell then joined in, and the two artists issued collaborative treatments of the singer-songwriter’s standout hits “Traveling Alone” and “Hope the High Road.” They returned to R.E.M.’s catalog with a stirring performance of the 1985 classic “Driver 8” to close out the set. Watch a fan-recorded video of the show-closer below.
The post Watch: Michael Stipe and Jason Isbell Perform R.E.M.’s “Driver 8” at Harris/Waltz Rally in Pittsburgh appeared first on Relix Media.
