The restaurant that inspired R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People is in danger of closing

Weaver D’s, the Athens, Georgia restaurant that inspired the title of R.E.M.’s Automatic For The People, is on the verge of closing. Dexter Weaver, the proprietor of the soul food mainstay, has fallen so far behind on paying his bills that he's not sure he can keep the doors open. And though there is occasional R.E.M.-related business, the primary clientele for Weaver D’s is still mostly students and regulars—meaning business hasn't been great for the past couple of years while people have tightened their belts. Fortunately, ever since alerting people to his problems on the restaurant's Facebook page, Weaver says he's had "a line waiting to order," and someone has even offered to buy the building if it would mean saving the restaurant, so there's still some hope it will survive to continue feeding residents and R.E.M. tourists for years to come. [via BuzzFeed]