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To see R.E.M. very late last night was a reminder of what the rockstar is. The word is not easily definable and cannot be summed up by a simple description or visual or video. Michael Stipe on stage is captivating… you cannot easily take your eyes off him. You could argue that he does not hold one of the great singing voices… so what is it?

In an age where people in khaki’s doing spreadsheets are referred to “rockstars” if they work past 9pm (I even received a business card this week where someone’s title was “rockstar”), it could be said that music has lost some of its allure simply because the rockstar as we know it is far and few between. It has also become watered down, being both an energy drink and a level in multiple video games. But how often do you get the sensation of thinking, “wow… I’m watching a rockstar” or simply a “star”.

There are a million bands and artists right now and with self-publishing, music distribution is no longer an issue. But with that, what is talent… what is a rockstar? Must you earn it? Does it start from the beginning?

To hear classic songs like “Fall On Me” and “Electrolite” (during which I was grabbed into an impromtu sing-a-long and sway session with two fans) was invigorating. Yes, there are many bands and artists playing this week… but the reality is that not much of the music will be memorable to the audience hours afterward or will make you want to pump your fist during the show itself. It could be the newness of the music… it may be that it takes a certain chemistry to move people. And it doesn’t always happen out of the gate… so many household name bands have broken only on their third or fourth album. But many people in the music business have financial attention deficit disorder.

The show itself featured a good number of songs from their forthcoming album, Accelerate. The band admitted to the crowd that these songs are really short, so not to worry. Very Ramones-esque. One of the new songs, “Houston”, evolved from a comment a certain Bush made about people from damaged areas shifting to Laredo, Galveston and Houston post-Katrina.

The new songs received a warm reception, but the joy was in the air upon hearing songs like “Drive”, “Man on the Moon” and “The Great Beyond”. Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck were joined by the ex-drummer from the industrial band Ministry on drums and a doppelganger for Jerry Garcia on guitar.

Arguably the most-anticipated show of the SXSW festival left the crowd feeling why can’t all bands inspire like this?