On Thursday, March 15th, as a part of SXSW, Jody Stephens along with members of R.E.M. and the dBs will join together to perform Big Star’s Third in its entirety.  Two years after Big Star’s singer/songwriter, Alex Chilton, passed away, this concert will celebrate the band’s esteemed legacy.  Before the concert begins, SXSW will screen the documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (Work-in-Progress).

The performance itself will feature Stephens on on drums, Mike Mills of R.E.M. on bass, Mitch Easter of Let’s Active and Chris Stamey on guitars, Charles Cleaver on piano, guitarists Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies, as well as more vocalists still signing up for the performance.  Additionally, Austin’s Tosca String Quartet, along with guest brass and wind musicians, will perform the original orchestrations from Third.

The documentary tells the story of musicians that struggle to reach fame in the music industry and only achieve it after creating three incredible albums.  It shows how influential Big Star was for a vast number of musicians, including R.E.M., Wilco, and Ryan Adams.

A limited number of advance tickets for the event are on sale at the Paramount Theater website.  These ticket holders will only be allowed entry to the theater after the SXSW badger holders enter.