Patti Smith and R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe are two generational greats, and how magical it must have been to watch Stipe open for Smith last night (May 2) at NYC’s newly-renovated and reopened Webster Hall.
Stipe performed original solo songs, which is not something the R.E.M. singer is known to do, and luckily a few clips of the performances have been posted by fans on social media. The first is called “Your Capricious Soul,” a droning mood punctuated by Stipe’s melodious tale, seemingly about a protagonist who works toward notoriety only to be weighed down by the spotlight. (There’s a good clip of that from a previous show in the American Museum Of Natural History.) The second song is called “Drive To The Ocean,” a driving, emotive ballad with hints of desperation and a lot of love for radio.
Stipe previously gave fans a 40-second song called “Future, If Future,” so maybe this is the beginning of a beautiful solo work.
Check clips of both “Your Capricious Soul” and “Drive To The Ocean” below.