The REMakes have been bringing a variety of classic R.E.M. tracks to stages across Atlanta for the past 16 years.
You can catch the REMakes at Variety Playhouse on Aug. 9. Led by Geoff Melkonian, the band plays the hits and the deep cuts while trying to capture the exact sound of R.E.M.’s original recordings.
Although he is best known as the owner and CEO of Breadwinner Cafe & Bakery, Melkonian is also the lead singer and guitarist of the REMakes. He performs alongside his close friends, bassist Jeff Rosenberg and drummer Webb Vandiver. The friends started playing R.E.M. songs together casually, never knowing it would turn into a recurring gig.
“I never really set out to be a part of an R.E.M. tribute band,” Melkonian said. “R.E.M. is certainly my favorite band of all time, and has been since I was a teenager back in the ‘80s. I just started having fun and jamming with my friends, and we mostly played R.E.M. songs.”
Their first show came about unintentionally in 2009 when a friend asked Melkonian to put an act together for a night at the now-closed Meehan’s Public House in Sandy Springs.
“We didn’t even have a name at that first show, but people loved it and wanted to have another,” Melkonian said. “We came up with the name The REMakes, and the rest is history.”
Melkonian spends most of his days running Breadwinner Cafe, so the band keeps a light schedule. The REMakes play just four to six shows a year, but have still managed to build a loyal following. On Aug. 9, the REMakes will play the Variety Playhouse for the fifth time in two and a half years, joined by Athens band Five Eight.
Melkonian has a long history with Five Eight, having produced two of their albums and also served as a producer on “Weirdo,” a documentary about the band. In addition to Five Eight opening the show, Melkonian will share ten minutes from the documentary, which is about the connection between Five Eight and R.E.M.
“There’s a lot of correlation between Five Eight and R.E.M., with the Athens connection and both bands being fans of each other,” Melkonian said. “Five Eight was the opening band for the West Coast leg of their 2004 tour. There’s just a lot of love between the two bands.”
When it comes to how they cover R.E.M., The REMakes are more focused on copying their sound rather than their look. Part of this is because the members of R.E.M. were in their early 20s when the band started, and the REMakes are middle-aged.
“We’re not trying to look like them or act like them,” Melkonian said. “We just want to sound as much like the original as possible.”
Melkonian’s commitment to the cover band is rooted in his deep appreciation for R.E.M.
“They’re greater than the sum of their parts,” he said. “Every member brought something that could only exist within that band. When a group creates music through that kind of collaboration, you get something special that just can’t be replicated.”
The Aug. 9 show will feature limited-edition posters designed by filmmaker Mark Pilvinsky, signed by all members of both bands. All of the proceeds will go to Nuçi’s Space, an Athens nonprofit that provides a safe space for people struggling with mental health.
“I never in a million years thought that this fun little project that we agreed to do 16 years ago, just to blow off some steam, would have gradually been put as a regular headliner at a venue that holds 700 people,” Melkonian said. “It never gets lost on me how really neat that is and how fun it is. I truly appreciate everything that’s happened for us.”
