Prior to Patti Smith’s show at the Beacon Theatre, R.E.M.‘s Michael Stipe surprised as the opener of the show, delivering a brief solo set comprised of covers from Neil Young, The Doors, Boy George and John Lennon, among others.

Stipe’s rare appearance featured covers of Neil Young’s “Old Man,” The Doors’ “People Are Strange,” Boy George’s “The Crying Game,” “Imagine” by John Lennon and David Bowie’s “All the Young Dudes” and The Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs.”