As we reported earlier this week, Athens is abuzz with activity this weekend in anticipation of R.E.M.’s 30th anniversary which takes place on Monday, April 5th. Music, film, and a music history tour are on tap. Also, be sure to have a look at two great
In a move they have considered since their earliest days, R.E.M. today announced from their Headquarters in Athens, GA, that they have finally decided to change their name to, simply, REM.
“This has been a long time in the making,” noted singer Michael Stipe, “and I am glad we finally made
WUOG 90.5 FM, the student run station at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA, will celebrate R.E.M.’s 30th anniversary by playing R.E.M. songs for 5 STRAIGHT HOURS on Monday, April 5th, 2010, from noon until 5 p.m. EST.
WUOG, 90.5 FM.
According to WUOG’s Jordan Stepp and Local Music
Bertis’ interview with Gordon Lamb of Flagpole, the Athens weekly magazine, is now available online. Read an excerpt below and visit flagpole.com for the entire interview:
A Look Back at R.E.M.’s 30-Year Career
by Gordon Lamb
Between 1997 and 2001, I was a temporary employee of R.E.M.’s home office. During that
Flagpole reports on this weekend’s 30th anniversary celebration at the Melting Point. Read an excerpt below and visit flagpole.com for the entire article…
A “Thank You”
The R.E.M. 30 Celebration
Once upon a time in Athens, there was a party held in a nearly collapsed old church on Oconee Street.
April 5th marks the 30th Anniversary of R.E.M.’s legendary first performance as a band at the deconsecrated St. Mary’s Episcopal church building on Oconee Street in Athens. To celebrate this historic occasion thirty years later, Athens has a number of events planned for this weekend, including a film retrospective,
The March 2010 issue of Georgia Magazine has an in-depth article on the Athens music scene. Read an excerpt from the article, Talk About the Passion, below and click on the link to read the full article:
Here’s the short version: the Athens music scene began April 5, 1980, when
Ken Stringfellow sent a batch of photos from the Alex Chilton tribute show at Antone’s Saturday night during SXSW in Austin. All photos are by Michelle Auer.
Mike was one of a number of performers on hand to pay tribute to Alex Chilton at Antone’s in Austin on Saturday night. Chilton passed away late last week from a heart attack at age 59. The show also featured Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets, M.
We wish to honor the President and current administration and the members of congress who grasped the importance of this historic bill
–Michael Stipe
For more on the historic legislation, read:
James Fallows in the Atlantic Monthly
Paul Krugman in the NY Times
Tomorrow night, Mike is set to play alongside the surviving members of Big Star who will pay tribute to the late Alex Chilton at SXSW in Austin. Chilton was scheduled to play the show himself but passed away from a heart attack two days ago. He was 59.
The Saturday
The entire band and office send our respect to the life, amazing work, and memory of Mark Linkous, a brilliant songwriter and sweet man. We all honor his music and energy, and we collectively breath for him, a sigh and a common prayer; thank you Mark for what you
Alex Chilton’s music was a big part of my life and a huge influence on R.E.M. He will live on for us through all the great music he made.
-Mike Mills
Michael is one of over 200 artists who have created Marcel Duchamp-inspired “ready-made” works of art for New York City’s landmark Tools For Thought: Rebuild Haiti Art Auction. The event, which kicks off with an online auction on March 10th, is slated to raise money for
Tomorrow, Tuesday March 9, at 2 p.m. EST/11 a.m. PST, join Steve Wynn on ESPN.com for a live chat regarding the Baseball Project’s new BROADSIDE BALLADS series (see below). Here’s the link:
Tomorrow also marks the release of the first Broadside Ballad.