R.E.M. has been around for nearly 30 years. Maybe that explains all the Baby Boomers and gray hairs who packed the Xcel Energy Center last night for what proved to be a stirring, random and satisfying show.

I didn’t discover R.E.M. until 1992’s Automatic For the People, loved the grungey Monster and liked New Adventures in Hi-Fi. But Accelerate is really helping me rediscover the band anew (and its back catalog, too). Speaking of, Accelerate provided ample new set material, including “Man Sized Wreath” and “Supernatural Superserious.”

Michael Stipe is the epitome of a performer, whether waving to the photographers, tossing sheet music in the crowd or belting out new and old ballads like a 20 year-old baritone.

Oh, and if you left early (old people), you missed “Fall On Me” with Johnny Marr on guitar.

Full setlist:

• Living Well’s The Best Revenge
• These Days
• Disturbance at the Heron House
• What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
• Hollow Man
• Shaking Through
• Man Sized Wreath
• West of The Fields
• Accelerate
• Ignoreland
• Star 69
• Auctioneer
• Houston
• Electrolite
• The One I Love
• Final Straw
• Sweetness Follows
• Let Me In
• Walk Unafraid
• Horse To Water
• Bad Day
• I’m Gonna DJ
• Encore
• Supernatural Superserious
• Welcome to the Occupation
• Losing My Religion
• Fall on Me (w/Johnny Marr!!!)
• Man on the Moon

The die-hard R.E.M. fans definitely didn’t come early to see Washington’s indie rock band Modest Mouse. This yuppie with a fanny pack and sweater tied around his waist sitting in front of me was patting his knees to the beat and swaying his head to “Float On” like it was “Lean on Me” at a summer camp bonfire. It shouldn’t annoy me, but it does.

I swear I’ve seen Modest Mouse before, but I’m not finding the review. I’m not as big a fan of the latest albums — I’m a Moon and Antarctica and Lonesome Crowded West kind of MM fan. And the newer stuff doesn’t have the edge of the old stuff — especially live. While I thought they put on a solid show, I’d like to see them rock a smaller club like the Fine Line where there’s more intimacy…at least a place where people won’t sit quietly in section 112 munching $8 pizzas and patting their knees. Not very rock and roll, if you ask me.

Last July before her 7th St. Entry gig, Rachel Stolte of Great Northern told me about this sweet new band everyone was buzzing about in L.A. “They’re called The National,” she told me. “And the singer, Matt Berninger, has this voice that just drives me wild.” A year later..um..yeah. That’s an understatement.

If you were at this show and weren’t one of the 300 people who made it inside by 7:15, you missed The National completely nail their very first arena show ever. And I’m telling you without a doubt, you really missed something. The 8 piece avant-garde indie rock band out of Brooklyn had a horn section and an expressive sound that permeated every corner of the arena. And while I would love to see them at First Avenue instead of up on a big stage playing to an empty arena, I’m glad I got to see them live before the fanny packers ruined that experience, too.

I took a ton of photos and put the best ones on Flickr here.