It must’ve seemed like another dream come to life for Jason Isbell.

On Friday, Isbell performed two songs R.E.M. songs with Michael Stipe at a rally in Pittsburgh for Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

An acclaimed folk/rock star and Alabama native, Isbell’s a lifelong fan of Southern alt-rock band R.E.M. He’s also a famously passionate Democrat.

In Pittsburgh, not only did Isbell, on guitar and backing vocals, accompany R.E.M. frontman Stipe on two R.E.M. classics, Stipe returned the favor by singing a pair of Isbell’s songs along with him.

They opened their mini set with “The One I Love.” That song, from 1987 album “Document,” was R.E.M.’s breakthrough hit. Wearing a tailored black suit and T-shirt, Isbell strummed a Martin acoustic. After “The One I Love” closed to applause, Isbell said, “What a lucky thing to get to do, and what a great reason to get to do it.” To which Stipe, in blue jacket and pants and jauntily tipped-back baseball cap, added, “Here, here.”

Next, the duo did a version of “Traveling Alone,” a song off Isbell’s 2013 breakthrough album “Southeastern.” Then, they duetted on “Hope the High Road,” from Isbell’s 2017 Grammy-winning album “The Nashville Sound.” Isbell and Stipe, who’d by then shed his cap to reveal his trademark shaved head, did tender harmonies together on the outro.

Stipe then introed a smiling Isbell to more applause, before adding, “You guys don’t need us to tell you how important Pennsylvania is in this coming election,” referring to Pennsylvania’s swing state status, before encouraging attendees to vote and get their friends and neighbors to do so, too.

Isbell and Stipe closed their 17-minute performance, held on a stage erected at verdant park Schenley Plaza, with R.E.M. song “Driver 8.” Off the band’s 1985 album “Fables of the Reconstruction.” The song’s a longtime R.E.M. fan favorite. Isbell previously covered “Driver 8″ on his 2021 album “Georgia Blue,” a collection of covers of songs by Georgia artists he recorded after Joe Biden won Georgia in the 2020 presidential election.

Before Isbell played R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck’s haunting “Driver 8″ intro,” Stipe quipped with a grin, “This one, I promise I’m not gonna f— up,” cracking Isbell and the crowd up. During Stipe’s outro lyrics of “But we’re still a ways away, but it’s still a ways away,” he adlibbed “Thirty-two days,” referring to Election Day, “here we go!”

Earlier, Stipe noted it was his first time singing these R.E.M. songs in 16 years. Previously this year, Stipe reunited with R.E.M. mates Buck, bassist/backing vocalist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry, to do signature hit “Losing My Religion” at the band’s unscheduled performance at their Songwriters Hall of Fame induction.

Before achieving fame as a solo artist, Isbell was a member of rock band Drive-By Truckers, who were based in Athens, Georgia, R.E.M.’s hometown. In recent years, he’s been based in the Nashville area.

In Pittsburgh, Stipe and Isbell were announced onstage by Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who gushed “So honored and just geeking out, nerding out and geeking out that I’m about to introduce Michael Stipe and Jason Isbell.”

Performing with Stipe was the latest dream-turned-real episode for Isbell, who seems to have such experiences as often as the rest of us shop for groceries.

In August, Isbell, who grew up in Green Hill and Muscle Shoals, performed his workingman’s ode “Something More Than Free” at the Democratic National Convention.

Also in August, he and soul-rock singer/songwriter Brittany Howard became the first musicians to be named Alabama Humanities Fellows, the highest humanities honor bestowed in the state, an honor previously given to the likes of “To Kill a Mockingbird” novelist Harper Lee.

In March, the songsmith and accomplished guitarist, provided musical accompaniment to a “Daily Show” bit about Fox News headlines about U.S. President Joe Biden. Also in March, Isbell upped his career total Grammy Award wins to six.

At a star-studded February fundraising tribute to Jon Bon Jovi, Isbell covered Bon Jovi’s classic “Wanted Dead or Alive” while playing a double-beck guitar and clad in a duster and cowboy hat.

Last year, Isbell made his first notable appearance in a film, in director Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” adaptation.

Isbell and his band The 400 Unit begin their annual run of concerts at Nashville’s historic Ryman Amphitheater this week.

Alas, there’s been at least one dream that wasn’t made real recently for Isbell. He and his band were scheduled to be part of a planned Van Halen farewell tour, before the 2020 death of legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen.