Today we celebrate one of the more significant milestones in the college-rock era, the 30th anniversary of the release of R.E.M.’s debut EP, “Chronic Town”. the five-song record that launched the band and, in many ways, the ’80s indie scene.
To commemorate this classic record — which, bizarrely, has never received an official standalone CD release — we present audio of a concert recorded a few months earlier, in Madison, Wisc., on April 24, 1982, that finds the band working through its early catalog.
This bootleg is widely available as “Carnival Of Sorts” from their 1982 tour stop at Merlin’s in Madison, Wisconsin. The rest of the cd is very good, save for a mysterious drop in volume for a few songs midway through the set. Some great rare stuff here, though, including this performance of “Stumble/ Skank ” as well as a blazing version of the unreleased song “That Beat” and a rare live performance of “Wolves, Lower”.
The Fat Angel Sings 