From this week's Flagpole:
http://flagpole.com/Music/Threats
On Sunday, Oct. 21, a very cool event for
R.E.M. fans, history buffs and Athens boosters takes place at the
Seney-Stovall Chapel at 2 p.m. The event,
"R.E.M. in Perspective: An Athens History" is sponsored by the
Athens Historical Society. Attendees will be treated to viewing of exceedingly rare R.E.M. footage from an early show at Atlanta's 688 Club and a practice session filmed in the back of the Decatur branch of
Wuxtry Records. This stuff has been under lock and key for about 25 years and, until now, there's probably only been 10 sets of eyes that have been given the privilege of seeing it. There will also be a lecture and two panel discussions at the event. Author
Tony Fletcher (
Remarks Remade: The Story of R.E.M.) will speak about Athens' place in R.E.M.'s history, followed by a panel featuring filmmaker
Jim Herbert, Wuxtry Records owner
Dan Wall and producer
John Keane, among others. A second panel with former mayor
Gwen O'Looney, activist
Tim Johnson and historical preservation advocate
Smith Wilson will discuss "R.E.M.'s social, civic, political, economic and preservation impact on Athens and beyond." For more information please contact Blair Dorminey at 706-254-7787 or via email at
bdorminey@visalawcenter.com.
"We were listening to the UNC radio (station) there and they were playing an R.E.M. song. I like R.E.M. fine, but at the end of it, the DJ says, 'Ya that was R.E.M., the sound of the new South'. I looked at my roommate and we said, Gawd, if that's the sound of the new South, I preferred it when it was on the skids. That's how we got the name."
- Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids