So that's why VH1 edits that thing down to two hours. After watching the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on VH1 Classic last night, I have a new appreciation for the editing that is done to get this four-hour-plus monster wedged into a managable two-hour block. Who knew the stage crew at the Hall of Fame was slower than that at any arena show I've ever attended? Shouldn't they have Hall of Fame caliber set-up guys there to ensure a quicker changeover between acts?

But I digress. I hung in late because I wanted to see R.E.M. Though it was a bit anticlimatic, and seeing the visibily older, wider members of R.E.M. (the lithe Michael Stipe notwithstanding) on the same stage recently vacated by the visibly older, wider members of the Ronettes, the Furious Five, Van Hagar and the Patti Smith Group (the lithe Patti Smith notwithstanding) made me feel old. Yes, R.E.M. is still a going concern making occasionally vital music, unlike most hall inductees, but they're still old guys toward the tail end of their career performing mostly for those eager to steep in nostalgia. It was the induction of the Police a few years back that really touched off this feeling, but R.E.M. sealed it last night.

Still, it was a celebratory night. It was great to see Patti Smith emerge from behind the lectern, shedding the awkwardness of her acceptance speech to slink over to the stage and, within seconds, absolutely command the entire room. A bit strange to hear a woman in her 60s refer to her mother as "Mommy," but her story about her mother enjoying vacuuming while listening to "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger" was priceless. It was nice to see hip hop get even a small percentage of its due in the person of Grandmaster Flash, and I'll guarantee that there will be at least one hip hop inductee per year for the foreseeable future as a result (a lock for 2008: Run DMC). Van Halen was, well, strange. Michael Anthony looked like a stage crew guy who somehow made a wrong turn backstage and wound up in front of a microphone.

Strange moments:

--Velvet Revolver has been asked twice to induct someone? What could possibly be the reason for that? And what the hell was the second song they performed last night?
--While in another room killing time until R.E.M. began, I looked over at my TV, caught sight of a head of messy blonde locks on screen, and came back in because I was sure it was Mike Mills. It was Sammy Hagar.
--Speaking of Hagar, has anyone looked more out of place than he did on stage with everyone else when they sang the show-closing "People Got the Power"? And could Patti Smith have looked more uncomfortable than when Hagar threw his arm around her as if they were singing "Finish What You Started" at Cabo Wabo?

Then there was R.E.M. It was a nice touch to start with a rocker like "Begin the Begin," letting Bill Berry -- who seems to spend more time behind the drums than the wheel of a tractor these days -- use his whole kit to show off the fact that his chops remain intact. From there they played "Gardening at Night," dedicated to Stipe's pop, and closed with "Man in the Moon" with inductor Eddie Vedder chiming in on vocals. It was the briefest part of Vedder's evening, coming on the heels of a long, rambling, at times actually touching induction speech. Perhaps because he took so long, or simply because they've learned to let Michael Stipe and Mills do the talking, Peter Buck and Berry said nothing in accepting their HOF statues.

All in all it was an interesting night, one that will be ably capsulized for broadcast Saturday on VH1. In the meantime, you can read a lot about R.E.M.'s history and impact on Athens, Ga., in this great package from the band's hometown paper. In addition, watch for a new digital single from the band, including Berry, a cover of John Lennon's "#9 Dream" for a benefit disc to raise money for relief in Darfur.

Labels: music, R.E.M.