Weezer's in the midst of Red and their Hootenanny tour. As we let you know last week, Rivers and the boys are mixing R.E.M., Psychedelic Furs, Gary Numan, and Radiohead covers into their special please-touch set lists. As proof, we have video of them walking through "Creep" in Portland, accompanied by a room full of guitar strummers, percussionists, solo singers, violinists, and a few inscrutable non-contributors. - Source

REM were joined onstage by Johnny Marr and the co-producers of their 1983 debut album 'Murmur' as their world tour continued in North Carolina last night (June 10). - Source

We've known that Editors were huge fans of R.E.M., which prompted their cover of "Orange Crush." Well, Michael Stipe and his bandmates returned the favor during a recent Live Lounge session on BBC's Radio 1 with their own rendition of "Munich." They also performed their new single - Source

Modest Mouse and The National will open for REM on their forthcoming US tour.  Source

In what might be the first good anti-war song released since the latest Gulf incursion, R.E.M. has stepped onto the playing field by making a rough studio mix of their new song "The Final Straw" available on their website. The song, which is set to appear on the forthcoming 2004 R.E.M. album, clearly expresses disdain for the US government's current war in Iraq.

A note on the site expresses Michael Stipe's desire to release the song prior to the album completion. "This is the strongest voice I could think of to send out there. We had to send something out there now. We are praying and hoping for the lives of all people involved, the troops, the Iraqi civilians, refugees, pow's, families of troops, the innocents-- that they are safe and okay. Safe home, all."

Michael Stipe announces that he is gay in a Time Magazine article. Previously, questions about his sex life were always off-limits, but now Stipe admits to an ongoing three-year relationship with 'an amazing man'.

It has been a day since this story broke and I still believe it's just hype for their new album, Reveal. What do you think?