In the heart of the Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood sits the unassuming Metro, originally called Stages, and then Cabaret Metro.
Despite having intense competition from the nearby Cubby Bear that was older and even closer to the cathedral that is Wrigley Field, The Metro helped launch the careers of many once-underground bands of the ’80s and ’90s.
Starting way back in 1982, the first two shows at the Metro that we have in our database were both by the alternative darlings, REM, who were on their debut tour supporting Chronic Town.
Promoted by nearby Northwestern University’s WNUR radio, and their label IRS (which put out hits by The Go-Go’s, Los Lobos, Oingo Boingo and The Fine Young Cannibals), R.E.M. played in both July and September of ’82 and perfectly Christened the joint.
“After I did that show with R.E.M., [we] had legs,” Metro founder Joe Shanahan told Spin.
read more at: Setlist.fm
