Newspaper Page Text
6B
Thursday, December 6, 2007 | The Red a Black
GvtnJh/uiA hn Gtifa/n&. m a m&m bc&u®h Hn&tvdz
wm / Fofc se* in aweas. V% ‘'UrXl \ /
JJ ( - .~~~ >■ oveW.aw..,^^.L. c * r ' | W-
Legendary local band set to re-release classic album
By MANDY RODGERS
The Red & Black
In 1979, the Athens
music scene was simply a
mirage in the minds of
local residents.
The B-52s were burst
ing into the music indus
try, R.E.M. was on the
verge of formation and
Pylon just was starting to
make music.
Four students from the
University embraced their
lack of musical prowess
and started the group,
consisting of Randy
Bewley (guitar), Michael
Lachowski (bass), Curtis
Crowe (drums) and
Vanessa Briscoe (vocals).
Twenty-eight on-again,
off-again years later, the
band will re-release its
debut album, “Gyrate,” at
the 40 Watt Club Friday
night.
The quartet met while
studying various arts
together at the University.
“The music scene had a
lot of gestation that came
out of the art school,” said
Lachowski, who studied
photography.
“It was Randy’s idea to
start a band,” he said. “I
was afraid we would look
like Johnny Come Latelys,
but we were on the
ground floor it was
good timing.”
The B-52s had left
Athens to perform around
New York.
“There was so much
music coming out at that
time, how could you not
start a band,” Bewley said.
The band found Crowe
to play drums and recruit
ed Briscoe because of art
skills rather than vocal
talent.
“It was a little uncom
fortable if someone came
in who really did know
what they were doing,”
Lachowski said. “We
picked Vanessa because
she wasn’t intimidating.”
The unique name came
from the artistic clique’s
want of a visual word, and
Pylon means “traffic
cone.”
“First [our name] was
Diagonal and everything
would be done diagonally,
like all of the graphics,”
Lachowski said shaking
his head.
“We realized that was
stupid, thank God,”
Bewley said.
At the time, Athens
only had four clubs, two of
which Lachowski
described as “horrible,
college cover band” plac
es, and another played
only folk and jazz, leaving
Tyrone’s 0.C., where
Pylon packed the house.
“It was like Tuesdays,
then Wednesdays, then
Thursdays, then we got
Friday,” Bewley said.
Soon after, Pylon fol
lowed its comrades north
to New York.
“Fred (Schneider) from
the B-52s really pumped
us up,” Bewley said. “He
was like our ambassador.”
After the positive
reception in the Big
Apple, Pylon booked gigs
at hot spots across the
country, Canada and the
UK.
“Our first shows, we
were completely motion
less,” Lachowski said.
“Once we got it, people
started to dance that
was the way you enjoyed
music back then.”
Influenced by all kinds
of music, the band’s musi
cal genre was lazily
lumped together as
“experimental.”
“That irritated me,”
Lachowski said of the
label. “We were like, ‘No,
we’re done experimenting
that is the music.’”
After Pylon’s second
album, “Chomp,” debuted
in 1983, the group called it
quits.
“It was getting too seri
ous,” Bewley said. “We
PYLON
With Supercluster,
New Sound of Numbers and
Gang of One (DJ Hugo
Burnham from Gang of Four)
When: 9 p.m. Friday
Where: 40 Watt Club
Cost: $lO/advance
More Information: 40watt.com
wanted it to be fun and
not a business.”
The members reunit
ed in 1990 for another
album, “Chain,” and a
brief tour with R.E.M.
Pylon split again, only to
play gigs here and there
starting in 2004.
“I was always confused
because when we would
come back together peo
ple would say, ‘Do you
have all of the same peo
ple,” Bewley said. “It
wouldn’t be Pylon if we
didn’t.”
“Yeah, it would be like
if you have the Muppets
but put a Teletubby in for
one,” added Lachowski.
The reissue of “Gyrate”
as “Gyrate Plus” was
released this year and
prompted more shows for
the group. The show
Friday also features
Briscoe’s other band
Supercluster and New
Sound of Numbers
Bewley plays in both.
“He’s just gonna do a
crappy job for the first
two and a really good job
for Pylon,” said Lachowski
jokingly.
MIS
(1 „„e -and come back to sec us at Iht start
/ BARNETT SHOALS RD. \
OUT & ABOUT
[si-, \ H
£: [r* Wm/m 3L \ VIP / 5
B. Bj| . g ll
lp*> ■■ w \ •/:•••> ;■ -- C
Courtesy Pylon
▲ Michael Lachowski (bass), Curtis Crowe (drums), Vanessa Briscoe (vocals) and Randy Bewley
(guitar), better known as the Athens band Pylon, perform at Memorial Hall on the University cam
pus in 1980. The band will re-release its album “Gyrate” tomorrow at the 40 Watt Club.
As far as how the music
scene in Athens has devel
oped, the musicians
admitted to being skepti
cal.
“Who knew? From no
place to play to 50,”
Bewley said. “You think,
‘These people are taking
over my scene.’”
But Lachowski also
admits his anxiety of
approaching the current
music industry.
“I don’t know what my
strategy would be to
GOOD MONEY. QUICK & EASY!
[east CAMPUS
bookstore ,
> USED TEXTBOOKS > NEW TEXTBOOKS
> SCHOOL SUPPLIES > LOTS OF PARKING
> NO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS > BEST PRICES IN TOWN
NEXT TO KROGER • COLLEGE STATION SHOPPING CENTER • 503-0733
stand out,” he said.
“Everyone has the same
opportunities.”
The future of Pylon,
like always, is uncertain.
The two said they enjoy
playing together and
might re-release “Chomp,”
but after that there are no
definite plans.
“The fact that we’re
able to play together
(Friday) is a given. Next
year is a question .mark,”
Lachowski said. “You got
to take what you have.”