R.E.M.’s Mike Mills makes surprise appearance at Peter Buck’s Athens show with Kevn Kinney

There was a mini R.E.M. reunion in the band’s hometown of Athens, Georgia, on Sunday.

R.E.M.’s Peter Buck was headlining a show with Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ singer Kevn Kinney at the Rialto Room when Buck’s bandmate Mike Mills decided to join in on the fun.

According to a post on Instagram, Mills sang lead on a performance of R.E.M.’s Reckoning track “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” and also accompanied the pair on bass for Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ songs “Fly Me Courageous,” “Honeysuckle Blue” and “Straight to Hell.”

The post notes, “It was an amazing night in Athens with a great crowd and fabulous set.”

R.E.M. later shared video of the “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” performance, reminding fans that Peter and Kevin have another show at the Rialto on Thursday.

The performance comes less than two months after all the members of R.E.M. reunited in Athens at Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy’s show celebrating R.E.M.’s Murmur. All four members, including Michael Stipe and Bill Berry, performed the Reckoning track “Pretty Persuasion.”

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