IT'S THE END OF THE TOUR AS WE KNOW IT

Touring for the first time in five years, R.E.M. has earned rave reviews for a musically and visually striking production. LD Willie Williams created many stunning looks featuring vibrant colors. Williams' overall design was unique: the elaborate stage was highlighted with whimsical shapes created from EncapSulite fixtures, including the word “LUV,” as well as graphic panels featuring stylized portraits of the band's members.

The actual rig was a four-truss steup hung with 26 Martin Mac 2000s and 24 High End Systems Studio Colors located on the mid-stage truss and on the stage floor. Interspersed on the stage were 18 police beacons, which were custom-built for the tour by Bandit Lites' Technical Services Division. Seven Martin Atomic 3kW strobes also illuminated the audience from various points on the rig. The show was controlled by a High End Systems' Wholehog II console with a wing; also used were two AVO 48-way digital dimmer racks. The tour also featured six Lycian followspots, seven 8-Lite units, 16 ETC Source Four Lekos, and seven sodium fixtures.

Aside from Williams, other key personnel included crew chief Johnny Wyer, and technicians Roger Grybowicz, Rob Starksfield, and Mark ‘Scratch’ Hitchcock.

Although the tour was already very successful, it got a burst of extra publicity on October 11, when Bill Berry, who retied as the band's drummer in 1998, made a surprise appearance, once again taking over the drums for the number “Permanent Vacation,” and providing backup vocals on the song “Radio Free Europe.” Although the tour ended in October, the group returned to Europe for a series of television and radio appearances in England, Milan, and Oslo.