30 Years ago Today

via HERE.

The members of R.E.M. played their first public concert 30 years ago today at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Athens, Ga., as part of a birthday party for Kathleen O’Brien, Berry’s then-girlfriend who had introduced the drummer to Buck. According to “It Crawled From the South,” the band couldn’t settle on a name, so they called themselves Twisted Kites for their debut performance before several hundred friends and Athens townfolk. “It was really fun,” Stipe told author Marcus Gray. “I don’t remember the last half of it.” In “It Crawled From the South,” Berry offered a slightly different take: “We were scared shitless!”

Possible setlist: R.E.M., St. Mary’s Church, Athens, GA, 4/5/80
FIRST SET
1. “I Can’t Control Myself”
2. “God Save The Queen”
3. “Narrator”
4. “Just A Touch”
5. “Baby I”
6. “Action”
7. “Needles And Pins”
8. “Hippy Hippy Shake”
9. “There She Goes Again”
10. “All The Right Friends”
11. “Shakin’ All Over”
12. “Secret Agent Man”
13. “A Girl Like You”
14. “Permanent Vacation”
15. “I Can Only Give You Everything”
16. “Dangerous Times”
17. “Different Girl”
18. “Mystery To Me”
19. “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”
20. “Lisa Says”
21. “Nervous Breakdown”
22. “Schéhérazade”
SECOND SET
1. “Honky Tonk Women”
2. “One Nation Under A Groove”
3. “Roadrunner”
4. “California Sun”
5. “Gloria”

(pic below from a show 2 months later)