Mr. Scary in the Desert

When Jason Narducy met Michael Shannon in 2014, it was to celebrate the Lou Reed record The Blue Mask for a one-off performance in Chicago. Narducy, who plays guitar and bass with Superchunk, Bob Mould, and Sunny Day Real Estate among others, was familiar with Shannon’s work in films like Take Shelter and The Iceman—2014 was right around when Shannon became a bona fide Hollywood star. But he didn’t know that Shannon was also a lifelong musician. He sang in choirs and played in orchestras in school, and his indie-rock band, Corporal, put out their debut record in 2010, with Shannon as lead vocalist and guitarist. He portrayed George Jones in the 2022 miniseries George and Tammy, and handled all the musical performances himself.