R.E.M. made a triumphant return to the Midwest on Aug. 19, playing to an excited but not sold out Riverport Amphitheater in St. Louis, Mo. It was the sixth stop on the U.S. leg of the "A Carnival of Sorts" tour.

From the clean sound and the varied song selection to the tastefully engaging light show, R.E.M. was firing on all cylinders, and lived up to their reputation as one of the most important bands of the past 20 years.

The two-hour set was liberally sprinkled with songs from each of the band's Warner Bros. releases, as well as some older stuff. R.E.M. dipped as far back into their eleven-album catalog as ''Life's Rich Pageant'' for an all-time favorite, "Fall On Me." They also played "It's the End of the World as We Know It" and "The One I Love" from what is perhaps their most critically acclaimed album, ''Document.'' Despite the crowd's enthusiastic response, "Fall On Me" came off a little hurried, but the latter cuts were electrifying and played with verve.

Showing that they still have their creative juices flowing, they also unveiled "Great Beyond," a yet-to-be-released track from an upcoming movie by director Milos Forman called "Man On the Moon."

The alt-rock trailblazers are supporting their latest release, ''Up,'' and played a healthy dose of songs from it, such as "Lotus, "Hope" and "The Apologist." But for a live concert, the more upbeat "Daysleeper" saw the band hit its full stride. Stipe seemed especially enthusiastic as he belted out the chorus.

The three original members of the band -- Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Stipe -- are joined on this tour by Beck drummer Joey Waronker (who takes the place of the retired Bill Berry), ex-Posie Ken Stringfellow, and keyboard player Scott McCaughey. Waronker filled in ably for the departed Berry, but for anyone who was a fan before Berry departed, his supple, understated drumming was noticeably missing. Additionally, Stipe introduced nearly every song as "beautiful," which was a bit overbearing and superfluous.

R.E.M. has not been known for their fondness of touring, and it's hard to blame them after the nearly disastrous ''Hi-Fi'' tour, during which serious illness hit three of the four members and forced numerous cancellations and delays. On this tour, the band seems to have rekindled its live performance and seems to be having fun. Stipe was his usual flailing self while Buck and Mills preferred melding into the background. Occasionally Buck became active, giving an inspired Pete Townsend impersonation, and at one point, after the acoustic version of "Hope," Mills and Stipe engaged in a brief kiss.

After their Midwest stint, the band will hit the East Coast for shows in Boston, New York, Washington and Atlanta, among others. If you've followed R.E.M. from the beginning or you're a recent convert, this is one concert you shouldn't miss.