Pylon Reenactment Society – Footage from Mercury Lounge + 2018 Tour Report

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”15″]When people talk about the beginnings of the music scene in Athens, GA the discussion usually begins “The B-52’s, R.E.M., ….” Those who know will continue the list, “Pylon.” They were every Athens band’s favorite Athens band. Their musical naïveté, southern upbringing, art school smarts, and house-party roots exploded together to create something quite improbably amazing, hitting the listener on mental, physical, and spiritual levels simultaneously. On the surface, their angular guitar parts and propulsive rhythm section had something in common with UK post-punk bands like Gang of Four and PiL. But Pylon was more fun and less studied. And they had a secret weapon in Vanessa Briscoe Hay, whose inimitable vocal textures and phrasing defined the band’s sound for most listeners.
 
Pylon’s celebrated history came to a sudden end with the death of iconic guitarist Randy Bewley in 2009. Pylon was and always will be Vanessa, Randy, Michael, and Curtis. It is a certainty that the band will not reform with a new guitarist.
 
But hey, kids. Everything is still cool! Vanessa has gathered members of Athens bands Casper & the Cookies, The Glands, and world renowned pianist Damon Denton to create Pylon Reenactment Society. Is it a cover band if Vanessa is singing? Technically, it’s the next best thing. PRS are here to have fun and perform in the spirit of Pylon. Don’t be discouraged! Let’s dance! [/perfectpullquote] In the sweltering heat of July 2018 our team (featuring yours truly, Petridisch (proud owner of Fish Prints) and Cryostasium) decided to take a trip from Boston to New York in order to see Pylon Reenactment Society. Ridiculous temperatures aside, we enjoyed both our stay in NYC and the performance by PRS that featured both classics (“Cool”, “Volume”, “Driving School”) and new material!

Prior to the trip Petridisch did an interview with Vanessa Briscoe Hay which we highly recommend everyone to read. Also – don’t forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel if you liked the PRS footage!
Last, but not least – we also gathered tweets that document the band’s 2018 mini-tour that took, in addition to NYC, took them through North Carolina, Virginia and even featured them playing Washington’s infamous Comet Ping Pong pizzeria!

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