You'd think the band that opened for R.E.M.'s hush-hush surprise show at the Georgia Theatre last October would be oozing with ego and indie-cred, but The Possibilities are quite possibly the most down-to-earth and unassuming group of musicians in town.

''We're easy to work with and easy to get along with and we can play different styles,'' explains guitarist Kevin Lane.

No strangers to collaboration, the band members not only share songwriting and vocal duties, but have become a favorite backup band for both Jack Logan and Todd McBride, two of the most critically-acclaimed, if under-appreciated songwriters in Athens.

''We all bring in songs and we do them on a four-track first and give everyone in the band a copy and get their ideas on the songs. It's definitely a band effort,'' Lane explains of The Possibilities' approach to songwriting.

The Sunshine Fix with The Possibilities When: Doors open at 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 Where: 40 Watt Club, 285 W. Washington St. Cost: $5 Call: (706) 549-7871

''We always credit the songs to everybody because a lot of times the songs completely change,'' adds bassist Bob Spires.

Lane, his brother Matt and Spires began playing together while still teen-agers growing up in the tiny town of Bainbridge in South Georgia. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, between Tallahassee, Fla., and Dothan, Ala., the trio moved to Athens in the early '90s in search of an audience.

''There's nowhere to play in Bainbridge besides somebody's party on a Friday night,'' says Lane. ''If we wanted to keep doing it we had to go somewhere besides there.''

After the band moved to Athens, keyboardist Jason Gonzalez and guitarist Chris Grehan joined. Longtime fans of R.E.M., their gig opening for the local superstars was nothing short of a dream come true.

The Possibilities had earned a valuable fan in the person of Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck's cohort in The Minus 5 and Tuatara, and a frequent collaborator with R.E.M.

The Minus 5 even covers the song ''You Don't Mean It'' from The Possibilities' 1999 self-titled debut album. The Minus 5 recorded the tune on their own record and even performed it on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" two years ago.

''Every time Scott comes to town we try to get something together, and they (R.E.M. members) were all in town and they just decided they'd play a gig and asked us if they could use our stuff,'' Lane explains of the show with R.E.M. ''We were a little wary at first -- we were like, 'Sure you can use it, but it's at your own risk -- if you get shocked it's not our fault!'ƒ''

The Possibilities had good reason to be concerned about the dangers of vintage equipment. They still recall a mishap a few years back that brought an early end to their opening set during a Kindercore showcase at the 40 Watt Club.

''We made a bad first impression on that crowd,'' says Spires explaining the smoking explosion that overcame two of their amplifiers and sent them packing. ''Ever since then that whole crowd's hated us,'' adds Lane. ''We've never gotten over that, they gave us our one chance.''

But The Possibilities may win over a few indie-popsters just yet. Saturday night's show opening for The Sunshine Fix, the rocking outfit fronted by former Olivia Tremor Control co-founder Bill Doss, and upcoming gigs with Elf Power, one of Athens' most-celebrated Elephant 6-associated acts, offer the perfect opportunity for The Possibilities to find a few new fans.

''We're hoping to play for some of the Elephant 6 crowd because those folks never really come to our shows,'' says Lane. ''We're just not part of that scene. At least not yet.''

The Sunshine Fix will play Saturday at 40 Watt. Special