Why do bands like R.E.M. play SXSW?
By Michael Corcoran AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Wednesday, March 12, 2008 In the early years of South by Southwest, which started in 1987, it seemed that about half of the showcasing bands were trying to sound like R.E.M. But this year, one band will sound especially like the Georgia janglers. Less than five years after headlining the Austin City Limits Music Festival, R.E.M. is playing SXSW for the first time. There will not be backstage catering or a guest list tonight at Stubb’s, where the band will take the stage at midnight. R.E.M. will get the same compensation as every other band playing the festival: a choice between $225 or a badge for their manager and wristbands for each musician. “It was really a no-brainer,” R.E.M. manager Bertis Downs says of the decision to play a festival that is still primarily the domain of unknown acts. “Peter (guitarist Buck) has been going every year with other bands, and since R.E.M. has a new album (“Accelerate”) out in three weeks, it’s a great cha
