Tonight’s the night. I know the band has played a few live shows already, but R.E.M. starts its summer tour for real tonight in Vancouver. To say I am excited is an understatement.

I won’t get my chance to see them for a couple of weeks, but I will pore over tonight’s set list to see what gems they pull from the back catalog to try and guess what they might play for me on June 11. And, yes, they will be playing them for me.

I know the band has had tepid studio success over the past decade or so, but they always put together a kick-ass live show. Even on the last tour, when they played a bunch of the songs from “Around the Sun,” which just didn’t translate live, they managed to rock the house.

I can’t imagine what it will be like with the songs from “Accelerate” mixed in. Can you fathom a one-two punch of “Living Well’s the Best Revenge” and “These Days?” Or “Horse to Water” and “Pretty Persuasion?” Or “Supernatural Superserious” and “Gardening at Night?”

That’s why I look forward to their shows so much. You never know what you might get.