The event was described on the Babeland blog by store employee Jamye Waxman, who said that a location scout had called earlier in the day to confirm the band would be using the store for the video.
"We spent some time straightening up and pondering if REM would really stop by, and several hours later we got the answer we'd been hoping for," she wrote.
The band was videoed in the book section of the store, performing “Supernatural Serious,” the new single from their upcoming album.
The band hung around the shop for a short time after the shoot was over, and were given Babeland T-shirts. Waxman asked if they would perform at the shop's upcoming 15th anniversary party, but the musicians "said they were busy."
Babeland director of public relations Pamela Doan said that it was a wonderful surprise to learn that the shop had been chosen and that their boutique-style storefront will be well represented once the video is broadcast.
“I think that they knew the store before,” said Doan. “I read that they knew the owner of the restaurant next door and had been scouting a lot of locations on the lower East side.”
“It’s very exciting, of course, and it just feels like such a strong endorsement; that they like our company and what we do,” she added. “I think that’s what people come away with. All the press coverage has been very positive, when it could have been something negative about a big band being seen in a sex shop. But it wasn’t titillating at all.”
The Babeland location used by R.E.M. is located at 94 Rivington St. in New York City. The chain has another city location in the SoHo area of New York, at 43 Mercer St.
