R.E.M. ‘Chronic Town’ 40th-anniversary benefit concerts announced
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of R.E.M.’s debut EP, Chronic Town, two concerts have been announced by Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes.
The concerts are scheduled for December 14th and 15th in Georgia, and all proceeds from the shows will be donated to Planned Parenthood. The first show will take place at the 40 Warr Club in Athens, and the second will be at the Coca-Colo Roxy in Atlanta.
Robinson will play in the house band with his fellow Black Crowes band members, bassist Sven Pipien and drummer Barrett Martin. Comedian David Cross will host the shows.
The concert line-up will also include Darius Rucker, John Cameron Mitchell, Fred Armisen, Kevn Kinney, Lenny Kaye, Mitch Easter, Steve Wynn, David Ryan Harris, Elf Power, and Pylon Reenactment Society, while Indigo Girls and John Driskell Hopkins of Zac Brown band will play the show on the 14th.
Robinson said, “Growing up in Atlanta in the 1980s, R.E.M. was the preeminent band of that era. Their music was a huge influence not only on the Atlanta music scene but also on my brother and me. I’m so happy to be able to put together this celebration for a band that meant so much to us and music, and Chronic Town is what started it all.”
In July this year, Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Kim Tahyil of Soundgarden wowed the audience when they joined The Black Crowes on stage in Seattle. Buck performed a cover of the R.E.M. classic ‘The One I Love’ and then stayed on stage for a collaborative rendition of ‘Rock and Roll’ by the Velvet Underground with Tahyil.
Tickets for the benefit concert at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta are on sale today, while tickets for the show in Athens will be available to purchase on Tuesday.
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