Shannon, an award winning and acclaimed actor/director/musician, and Narducy (Bob Mould Band, Superchunk, Sunny Day Real Estate, Verböten, Split Single) have been collaborating for the last thirteen years, playing entire albums by some of their favorite artists such as Neil Young, The Modern Lovers, Bob Dylan, The Smiths, and T. Rex at various Chicago clubs. After a successful show in July 2023 at Chicago’s Metro honoring the 40th anniversary of R.E.M.’s Murmur, which included a guest appearance from R.E.M.’s own Mike Mills, what was initially planned as a one-off performance evolved into the pair’s first-ever tour. In the years since, Shannon & Narducy have toured celebrating R.E.M.’s 1985 album, Fables of the Reconstruction, and 1986’s Lifes Rich Pageant.
On Document, Shannon says: “This is the album that introduced me to the band. If you had told me when I was a kid that some day I’d get up on stage and perform it, I wouldn’t be able to comprehend, probably even believe, that...Feels like it was recorded yesterday to address the calamity of tomorrow...a pinnacle of songwriting and craftsmanship unseen beforehand and unmatched...that is until the next R.E.M. record, as always.”
Narducy adds: “When I was sixteen, my friends and I drove from Evanston to Madison—probably looking for trouble. I walked into a record store and saw a new R.E.M. album on display. It was the first R.E.M. record I purchased. The first song was ‘Finest Worksong’ and I felt deeply connected to the music, the lyrics, the energy. I cannot wait to join the band to play these songs.”
