Synopsis
R.E.M. perform "Hollow Man" in the intimate studio setting of Austin City Limits. Michael Stipe delivers the song with concentrated intensity while Peter Buck and Mike Mills provide the tightly controlled guitar, bass, and vocal framework. The camera moves between close views of the musicians and wider shots of the stage, emphasizing the performance rather than adding a separate narrative. The result is a direct live reading of one of the darker, more inward-looking songs from the band's 2008 album *Accelerate*.
Factoids & Trivia
- The performance was recorded at the Austin City Limits studio in Austin, Texas, on March 13, 2008.
- "Hollow Man" was part of R.E.M.'s promotional campaign for *Accelerate*, which was released on April 1, 2008.
- The Austin City Limits episode featuring R.E.M. was broadcast on PBS in May 2008.
- The performance was later included on *Live from Austin, TX*, a 2010 video release documenting the band's Austin City Limits appearance.
- The DVD version runs for approximately 70 minutes and presents a 17-song set, combining new material from *Accelerate* with songs from earlier periods of R.E.M.'s catalog.
- The live arrangement retains the song's tense, compact character while giving the guitars and rhythm section a more open, stage-oriented presence than on the studio recording.