Had the good fortune of catching REM and Modest Mouse at The Mann last night. I'm a Modest Mouse fan -- going back to my high school days before the radio play. It's been great seeing the band grow and now to include Johnny Marr is awesome to see live. But at The Mann, it's hard to get in to. I prefer to see them at the Electric Factory and I wish I could get the chance to see them at the Trocadero again. But the odds are pretty slim.

I went to see REM. The first album I ever bought with my own money was "Document" back in elementary school. But I never really got to see them play live. I saw them at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in D.C. in the 90s but it wasn't the same. So I was really excited to see what they would be like on their own. They didn't disappoint.

The two-hour set covered just about every album they've released and I really like the new material. As does just about every one else that writes entertainment. I don't write entertainment, just enjoy being entertained.

I like watching people leave before the encore because they have to beat the traffic. You've spent money, watched music for hours and leave 20 minutes early to get home 20 minutes earlier? Doesn't make sense to me.

And I hope all the people that left early read about the encore REM performed. Johnny Marr joined them on stage for two songs ("Fall on Me" and "Man on the Moon.") But before that, Eddie Veddar (Pearl Jam just happens to be playing in Camden tonight) joined the band on stage for "Begin the Begin."

I went to out of curiosity. When I left I'd say it's in the top five I've ever seen.