R.E.M. have friends in high places, and a good number of them will converge on New York City's Carnegie Hall March 11 to sing the songs of R.E.M. and raise some dollars for a deserving cause. "The Music of R.E.M." benefit concert will feature performances of the Athens band's classics from the likes of Patti Smith, Calexico, Kimya Dawson, the Apples in Stereo, Vic Chesnutt and Elf Power, Bob Mould, Throwing Muses, Glen Hansard from the Frames/that movie, Tommy James and the Shondells (!), Jolie Holland, Keren Ann, Rachael Yamagata, the dB's, and many more, with all proceeds from the evening's ticket sales going to music programs for underprivileged youth [via BrooklynVegan].In other R.E.M. news, the expanded Murmur is out now from I.R.S./UMe, as is Michael Stipe's take on the Lacoste polo shirt. And those charity lunchboxes designed by Stipe and Mike Mills are up for auction through December 18.