His resplendent beard aside, Michael Stipe seems to have lost nothing of his former stage presence and ability to engage an audience with his performance. His emergence from a hibernation is well and truly welcome in the form of a late night appearance and David Bowie cover.
The song has seen little love in the cover heyday that’s followed Bowie’s ascendance to cosmic realms (though it’s been rather famously covered in the past), and Stipe’s intimate rendition was a breath of fresh air. With just a piano accompanying him, the R.E.M. frontman delivered a tender, 1970’s hit. Check out the performance below on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Falon.
