Was R.E.M. ready to rock Madison Square Garden?
By JOSHUA LIEBERSON STATIC and FEEDBACK correspondent This show came at the start of a great week of music and entertainment. I would see three shows in six days, in addition to a comedy show, a parade, and some beach time. Needless to say, I was excited. I also figured this may be my last chance to see R.E.M. in person. I had last seen them in 1999 supporting Up, which I always felt that was their second-most underrated album (Monster takes the cake, because everyone seems to know it and hate it despite it being fantastic). The show was also pretty stellar, and I still have some strong memories. My friend and I made our way on the L train to Manhattan, then to the N, which left us a block from Madison Square Garden, running a few minutes late. After the driving experience to Hartford the previous week, taking a couple of trains to the show was more than ideal. We rushed into the venue, knowing we were going to miss a few minutes of the opening band, and hit the Garden escalators. For
