This would be R.E.M.'s first show after the election. I can't even imagine how the band, as well as any other musician involved in the Vote For Change Tour, were feeling, two days after the election. So I wasn't expecting a party or a powerhouse, and I didn't get either. But they got up on that stage tonight and played for all they could muster and for all they were worth. Madison Square Garden or not, at times they each looked dejected, tired, dispirited, and I don't know who could possibly blame them. But equally, at other moments it seemed like the music was pulling them up and giving them strength.

Everyone was naturally curious how Michael Stipe would address the election outcome, and the answer was clear when the band walked out and opened with "It's The End of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." Usually, this song is a silly, goofy, crowd participation number; tonight, it was grim and determined, but still with a fair amount of humor. The song ends, and it seems as though Stipe is going to say something; instead, the band slams into "Begin The Begin" from Lifes Rich Pageant: "Silence means security, silence means approval..." and suddenly this song is far more political than I ever thought to consider.

Third song, and still no comment from Michael - it looked at times as though he thought about saying something, and him and Peter Buck were talking to each other off mic between almost every song. This time, "So Fast So Numb," which exactly described how many people felt Tuesday night: "So fast, so numb/that you can't even feel."

"This song takes place in Tennessee," was a preface to "Boy In The Well" - a literal reference but also reminding the audience of electoral votes. When the next number was "Welcome To The Occupation," it was clear that Stipe probably wasn't going to directly address the political situation tonight, and that the setlist would be speaking for them quite adequately.

"This next song takes place in Ohio," prefaces (of course) "Cuyahoga" is and the mention of Ohio received more than a small amount of booing, but then the opening line: "Let's put our heads together/and start a new country up," brought cheers.

A beautiful "Sweetness Follows," sparse and semi-acoustic, was simply stunning. No political message here, just a powerful, majestic rendition. It seemed to restore the band, as the rest of the set seemed to have more energy. "Final Straw," a song the band released last year in protest of the Iraqi war, and included on the new record, followed; unfortunately the significance and symbolism seemed to be to be lost on most of the audience.