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On April 5, 1980, four guys living in Athens, GA who’d recently decided to form a band, performed for the very first time, in an abandoned church, at their friend K.O.’s birthday party. They later called themselves R.E.M., and up through 2011 they created incredible music, released 15 albums, toured the world, won Grammys and garnered a deeply loyal following that persists to this day. I didn’t meet them until February 2, 1982, when they came over to my Chinatown apartment for a photo shoot. (The first of many to come). The connection we made that night - as photographer/subject but more importantly, as friends - was instant and everlasting. (After the photo shoot we walked down the street to eat a very late Chinese meal). In all these years I’ve only ever printed up maybe six frames of the band from that shoot. I just never revisited it; we were always taking more photos so I just put the prints and contact sheets in a folder along with all of the other prints and contact sheets. Tonight I checked them out to give you all a 39th anniversary gift. ✨
Our fancy big city prop that night was a box filled with packing peanuts I had laying around. That, and my cat Tchatchke. In this photo, both are put to good use. Michael discovers whether there is nutritional value in styrofoam. Peter tries to see if cats can fly. Mike investigates whether packing peanuts can defy gravity. And Bill, well…he’s always been a man of mystery.
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I spent the next day developing the film and brought the contacts along with me to Danceteria, where R.E.M. played the club’s private party the night before the club’s official opening. More hanging out ensued. It was, as they say, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
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Happy Anniversary R.E.M.! Thank you for all of the happiness you have given to this world. R.E.M., NYC, 1982, Photographed by © Laura Levine ✨
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That's me in the mirror. On October 6, 1983, I spent the day with R.E.M. That’s not so unusual, but what made it special is that was the date they made their national television debut, performing two songs on Late Night With David Letterman. They played “Radio Free Europe” along with a new and still unnamed song (later to be titled “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)”). It was a long, packed, exciting day and night, and I documented it all with my camera.
Here we are in the make-up room just before the taping. “So. Central Rain” was to appear on their next album, RECKONING, released in May 1984 but at this point not yet recorded. I bring this all up because yesterday R.E.M. posted that 35 years ago - Jan. 18, 1984 - was the last day in the studio recording it. RECKONING holds deep importance to me, and listening to it takes me back to a very special time in my life. I reckon that many of you reading this can say the same thing. Michael Stipe, Laura Levine, Peter Buck, make-up artist, and Bill Berry backstage at Late Night With David Letterman, NYC, October 6, 1983; Photographed by © Laura Levine (aka early selfie).
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