Driver 8: The Music Of R.E.M.
Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2022
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The best kept secret in music
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"The Smithereens played with Driver 8 on the same bill and they were so much fun! These guys are pros and you’ll have a great time!" -Jim Babjak, Smithereens guitarist -
The show last night in Westland, MI was an experience I'll never forget. My brother in law is the drummer for Morning Glory (Oasis Tribute), so I figured I'd stick around and catch a few REM songs.
I'm not an REM fan, but certainly never disliked them... Maybe just heard Shiny Happy People a couple too many times at the grocery store over the years...
Anyway, right from the opening hook of Begin The Begin, I was pretty sucked in. While morning Glory was a little bit loud especially in their first set lead guitar vocals, Driver 8 seemed to be balanced perfectly with the vocals guitars keyboards and drums right from the beginning.
The harder hitting punk songs at the beginning of the set really drew me in and made me excited to hear all the singles that I've heard way too many times over the radio.
Radio free Europe really stuck out to me as this is basically just a song that I forgot about, which is crazy to think because this is probably my favorite REM song. What a pleasure it was to hear this one banged out live.
The little extra bit of trivia before every other song really did it for me, the introduction and info before Everybody Hurts set the stage magnificently for the absolutely stunning emotional performance that was to come. The emotion you put into that song was certainly felt by everyone on the other side of the stage.
Orange Crush hit hard and was another song that I had seemingly forgot about. By the end of the night I was so excited to hear this one and it definitely didn't disappoint.
Coming back on and doing Begin the Begin as an encore and hearing it for the second time was just terrific. Definitely not familiar with that REM song, as I went home and smashed a couple beers in my garage listening to the album versions of the REM songs I had already heard.... I can definitely say I prefer the driver 8 version of this one! I loved watching the video on your Facebook page of The encore version that your social media guy posted.
Anyway, I just wanted to give you an extended thank you because I was pretty blown away by that show and I obviously didn't expect to be. I thought your trivia and engagement with the crowd was absolutely perfect, and really helped the overall experience.The show has made me an REM fan for life and I'll certainly be in the seats again if you ever make it back to the Metro Detroit area."
- Sean Grogan, New Driver 8 Fan -
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Driver 8: The Music of R.E.M. is a musical celebration of
one of American alternative music’s greatest and most prolific bands of all
time: R.E.M.
Driver 8 pays tribute to the highlights of R.E.M.’s vast catalog, beginning
with 1982’s “Chronic Town” and carrying up through their heyday. Fans of R.E.M.
can expect Driver 8 to play the well-known radio hits as well as college rock
favorites and deep cuts.
As performers, Driver 8 aims to not only perform the songs as closely to the
original R.E.M. sound as humanly possible, but also to engage the audience,
bringing them into the music. At the core, Driver 8 seeks to present a
nostalgic stroll into the past. Maybe audience members recall college days.
Perhaps a particular song brings back memories of a past love. Conceivably, one
may reminiscence over a season where R.E.M. was the soundtrack to their
experiences.
One thing for certain, a Driver 8 audience leaves with a smile on their face
having spent an evening with five top notch musicians passionate about delivering
an enthusiastic, entertaining performance.
Add to the musicianship the desire to bestow a wonderful walk down memory lane to
the audience and you have the allure that is the Driver 8: The Music of R.E.M.
experience.
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