That was no surprise–I’ve seen her a dozen times and she’s always fantastic.

The real surprise was who opened for her.

R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe was the unannounced warm-up act for the legendary musician (and close friend) and his short set was nothing short of riveting.

Consisting of six covers, Stipe’s set was brief, but the former R.E.M. frontman was in fine form.

Bearded and wearing a suit along with a beanie, Stipe and his band played songs by everyone from Neil Young to The Doors.

As for what this return to the stage means, it’s hard to tell.

Stipe played no songs by R.E.M. or any new material of his own, so it’s likely this was just a one-off, but whatever it means, it was great to see him again.

Setlist:
Old Man (Neil Young cover)
Venus in Furs (The Velvet Underground cover)
The Crying Game (Dave Berry cover)
People Are Strange (The Doors cover)
Imagine (John Lennon cover)
All the Young Dudes (David Bowie cover)