Michael Stipe plays surprise solo show for Patti Smith

[RoadWarrior]

Michael Stipe of R.E.M. was the surprise opening act for Patti Smith in New York on Monday night.

Stipe played a short six-song set including a cover of Frank Sinatra's 'New York New York' and two fairly obscure R.E.M. songs.

Michael Stipe has been almost invisible on the music scene since the breakup of R.E.M. in September of 2011. He sang Losing My Religion at the Hurricane Sandy benefit at Madison Square Garden and has been involved with a couple of movie soundtracks but that has been about all.

The Stipe set also included Smith's 'Wing' and Vic Chesnut's 'Lucinda Williams'.
Michael Stipe set list

Lucinda Williams (Vic Chesnutt cover)
Theme From New York, New York (Frank Sinatra cover)
Wing (Patti Smith cover)
Saturn Return (from Reveal, 2001)
Hood (Perfume Genius cover)
New Test Leper (from New Adventures in Hi-Fi, 1996)

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Patti Smith set list

Dancing Barefoot (from Wave, 1979)
Fuji-san (from Banga, 2012)
Distant Fingers (from Radio Ethiopia, 1976)
Pumping (My Heart) (from Radio Ethiopia, 1976)
This Is the Girl (from Banga, 2012)
Because the Night (from Easter, 1978)
The Stable Song (Gregory Alan Isakov cover)
My Little Red Book (Burt Bacharach cover) (Lenny Kaye vocal)
7 and 7 Is (Love cover) (Tony Shanahan vocal)
About a Boy (from Gone Again, 1996)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (from Twelve, 2007)
25th Floor (from Easter, 1978)
Pissing in a River (from the soundtrack of Times Square, 1980)
Gandhi (from Trampin', 2004)

Encore:
Mercy Is (from the soundtrack of Noah, 2014)
Banga (with Jesse Paris Smith) (from Banga, 2012)
People Have the Power (with Jesse Paris Smith) (from Dream of Life, 1988)
Babelogue (with Jesse Paris Smith) (from Easter, 1978)
Rock N Roll Nigger (from Easter, 1978)