R.E.M. Members to Honor Big Star At SXSW 2012

Although R.E.M. broke up last year, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills are gearing up to play on the same stage once again. The two men are among the musicians set for an all-star musical tribute to power-pop legends Big Star during SXSW 2012.

Buck, Mills and a bunch of their long-time friends and collaborators—including Mitch Easter (who co-produced R.E.M.’s debut, ‘Murmur’), Posies guitarist/vocalist Ken Stringfellow and Chris Stamey of the dB’s—will be performing Big Star’s seminal album, ‘Third,’ in its entirety. Other musicians involved in the tribute include Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, Posies guitarist/vocalist Jon Auer and the Austin-based Tosca String Quartet.

The musical performance will follow the screening of a rough cut of the documentary ‘Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me.’ The film chronicles the history and influence of the Memphis, Tenn., band, which has been called an influence on artists such as Wilco, Matthew Sweet and, yes, R.E.M.

Both the ‘Nothing Can Hurt Me’ screening and the musical performance take place at the Paramount Theatre on Thursday, March 15. The festivities start at 7PM local time.

Watch the ‘Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me’ Trailer: