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Michael Shannon is a two-time Oscar nominee and has starred in prestige TV shows _George & Tammy_ and _Boardwalk Empire_. But the 50-year-old gets a “big adrenaline rush” from singing in

a band. “I guess like most actors, I wish I was a rock ’n’ roll star.” Lately, Shannon has been living out these dreams with veteran indie rock musician Jason Narducy, 53. Shannon and

Narducy first played together more than a decade ago, performing Lou Reed’s album _The Blue Mask_ with fellow musician Robbie Fulks. The two later covered other albums, including The

Smiths’ _The Queen Is Dead_, before finding their sweet spot with R.E.M. Last year, Shannon and Narducy led a band of musicians on a U.S. tour of live music clubs on which they played all

the songs from R.E.M.’s critically acclaimed debut album _Murmur_. That run included a show in Athens, Georgia, that was attended by all four R.E.M. band members; guitarist Peter Buck and

drummer Bill Berry were prompted to join the group at various points on stage. This year, Shannon and Narducy are reviving the project with a tour focusing on R.E.M.’s third album, 1985’s

_Fables of the Reconstruction_, in honor of its 40th anniversary. The tour runs Feb. 14 through March 15 (see the schedule at concertedefforts.com/roster/michael-shannon-jason-narducy.)

Shannon and Narducy are big fans of R.E.M., and with that beloved band having broken up in 2011, concert-goers are eager to hear their songs played live. “They were just a phenomenal band,”

Narducy says. “I would put their catalog up against anybody’s. It’s just so magnificent and unique.” Shannon remembers seeing R.E.M. perform. “You hear four masters completely articulating

a musical idea, an emotional idea, with a ferocity and a passion but also a clarity. They were just in complete possession of what they were doing. And when you hear that from a band, it’s

like, _Oh yeah, these guys will be in the hall of fame._" We asked Shannon and Narducy to share some of their favorite R.E.M. songs: “1,000,000” (1982) Michael Shannon performs as

part of Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders variety show at New York's City Winery in November 2024. Al Pereira/Getty Images “It’s a song I really love performing because the verse

is so gnarly, rough and kind of vicious, and then it goes to the chorus that’s so sweet, melodic and heartfelt,” Shannon says. “That juxtaposition of anger, melancholy and yearning is a

trademark of the band.” “YOU ARE THE EVERYTHING” (1988)