Just before the release of Psychic… , and with new bassist Terence

Just before the release of Psychic… , and with new bassist Terence Smart in tow (the first of many through 1986), the band commenced their first nationwide tour. It was on this outing that they truly established a national presence, starting at Touch and Go’s early headquarters in Detroit before heading to New York City, where they impressed members of Sonic Youth , as well as Shockabilly member (and future Butthole Surfers bassist) Kramer . They then crisscrossed the country for several months, including a show in Seattle, that made a fan of future Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil . While in San Francisco at the end of the tour, and without a place to live, the band collectively decided to move to Winterville (a small town outside Athens, Georgia), where they admittedly made a hobby of stalking members of R.E.M. They purportedly planned to leave a van parked in front of Michael Stipe ‘s house, with “Michael Stipe/Despite the Hype/I Still Wanna Suck/Your Big Long Pipe” painted on the side. Smart quit after falling in love with a friend of the band, and Trevor Malcolm, a young Canadian musician recommended by Touch and Go, replaced him on bass.