I was out of town when R.E.M. announced their break-up, so the news didn’t reach me right away. I saw a couple of Facebook friends post R.E.M. songs without any context and thought it an odd coincidence, but I didn’t assume it was pegged to news about the band.
A day later I read a short story about the announcement in USA Today, a rare case (these days) of learning about something for the first time in a newspaper.
My response was not sadness, but a mixture of relief and nostalgia. I imagine most long-term R.E.M. fans had a similar reaction.
Meet Me In Montauk 