Late Night Music Club: R.I.P. Pylon guitarist Randy Bewley

By MaxMarginal Thursday Feb 26, 2009 8:00pm

Title: Danger

Artist: Pylon

Guitarist Randy Bewley of Athens, GA post-punk cult heroes Pylon died of a heart attack yesterday while driving. Pylon weren't as well known as their peers in R.E.M. and the B-52s, but their contribution to the musical conversation in Athens in the early eighties can't be stressed enough.

Bewley's guitar work on "Danger" is particularly stunning.

Tags: LNMC, Passings

42 comments

Love Tractor

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:15 — Andy K

Paint/Fun To Be Happy

I've always had a hard time keeping Pylon and Love Tractor separate in my brain. They sounded quite alike at times, were label-mates on db Records, and both came from Athens, so I guess that 'splains the confusion.

Condolences to Randy Bewley's family and friends.

pylon

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:17 — constituent

nice sound brings back memories. sorry to hear about randy bewley.

Memo to: young and talented musicians

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:18 — calgarylady

From me: Stop dying! Please.

What a fantastic song! Wow, I feel better now. Thank you.

The dB's

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:19 — Andy K

Amplifier

She took his car
She took his bike
She took everything she thought he liked
And what she couldn't take, she found a way to break
But she left his amplifier

good tune

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:29 — constituent

i have plenty of buddies singing this tune.

That's right at the top of one of my lists

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:32 — Andy K

Great Songs That Hardly Anyone Knows

Eddie Noack

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:38 — Andy K

Psycho

This one's way up near the top, too.

I've never heard of them or that song

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:35 — calgarylady

but I love it! That video is outstanding!

Life ... Death ... it's all so funky, ain't it.

They were one of the bands that played...

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:41 — Andy K

...the college circuit in the southeast in the early '80's. REM is the only one of those bands that got big. Most of these bands only got airplay on college radio stations.

Let's Active

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:45 — Andy K

Every Word Means No

Another example.

Never heard this

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 23:24 — MaxMarginal

This is great... there's a Liz Phair song that I think is a ripoff of this song, the first song on Exile in Guyville, 6'1"

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:49 — Present Project

I usually raise my eyebrows at the youtube-ish phenomenon where people put their favorite song to classic movies, but post-punk "Danger" does fit into the meme of German Expressionism pretty well.

R.E.M.

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:26 — Andy K

Wendell Gee

Beautiful song.

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 21:33 — fastfeat

One of my favorite R.E.M. tunes.

The Clique

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 20:29 — Andy K

I Am Superman

ooh, that was so freaky, Andy

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 21:40 — calgarylady

You always pull out the hidden gems, eh!

First concert ever

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 23:25 — MaxMarginal

I think i was 9 and my dad took me to see them on this tour, for Life's Rich Pageant...

You saw The Clique when you were 9?

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 06:50 — Andy K

I didn't realize you were that old, Max.

Oh, you saw R.E.M. when you were 9...I get it... ;D

I saw 'em on the Little America (post Reckoning), and the tour after Fables....And then once more in the '80's, after they began to get really popular. After that they were too big to play smaller venues, and I don't like arena/stadium shows.

I saw R.E.M. once in the early (?) 80s at the Greek Theater

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 07:16 — fastfeat

in LA. I took two (!) gals from college, remember (sort of...) driving my old BMW 2002, stoned, the wrong way up a one-way street to get there. Great times.

R.E.M. --"Driver 8"

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 21:18 — fastfeat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH4idj6kDVU

Dr John--"Iko Iko"

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 21:26 — fastfeat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=objvCrF7XEU

Sorry if I missed the Mardi Gras thread? Was looking for "Walk on Gilded Splinters", but no luck.

Yowee, fastfeat!

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 22:06 — calgarylady

So many greats on stage together there! I just love Dr John's flamboyant attire and musical style.

Thanx!

Belly--"Feed the Tree"

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 21:53 — fastfeat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0bxXj2IBPA&fe...

Thanks for that! Love Belly.

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 05:49 — lilith

pj harvey down by the water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2a4BlTrtw

The Sundays - Here's Where The Story Ends

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 05:56 — lilith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n35C0j3LLB0

sorry to go off topic

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 21:59 — skippy

sorry to switch musical gears, and my condolences to the pylons and randy's family, too.

but today i realized the answer to ~~yesterday's~~ tuesday's question: what was the best supergroup?

you can't leave out dirty mac, even if they only played one gig.

Oh my goodness, skippy

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 22:39 — calgarylady

That was incredible!

wow!

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 23:26 — MaxMarginal

never heard!!

Way cool!

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 05:07 — fastfeat

Thanks.

GNA

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 22:47 — calgarylady

and sleep tight!

'Athens, GA inside and out'

Thu, 02/26/2009 - 23:13 — bibimimi

I remember the chick from Pylon saying her day job was "makin' caw-pies...I work in a caw-pie shawp".

More Pylon info

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 04:22 — MasonMcD

The guy interviewed isn't Bewley, but the bassist Michael Lachowski, who still lives here in Athens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9OuD6xagLE

Also, Bar-B-Q Killers. Epic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVV9P-MWNZA

Hole - Doll Parts

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 05:52 — lilith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mEbVJxsMQM

Veruca Salt - Seether

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 05:53 — lilith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AI95BVkiW0

Mazzy Star

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 05:59 — lilith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWvEXChflEE

Concrete Blonde

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 06:12 — lilith

Everybody Knows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaJAxdGeZ4E&fe...

tomorrow wendy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO6qrtSTkew&fe...

The first time I ever heard "Everybody Knows" was

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 07:19 — fastfeat

this version at an Evansville, Indiana strip club, watching a girl dance to it!

Thanks, whoever your name was, to turning me on to Leonard Cohen!

Thanks, lilith

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 08:05 — calgarylady

I love that song "Everybody Knows" and Leonard Cohen. Concrete Blonde does a great version of it.

The video for Tomorrow Wendy is disturbing to watch but very moving. Powerful stuff!

lurv it!

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 08:27 — skippy

luv cb's version of "everybody knows!"

Mornin', skippy!

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 08:46 — calgarylady

Just a quick note to say thank you for the Fiona Apple 'Across the Universe' song and video the other night.

I 'lurved' that one too!

I've always kind of envied

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 07:51 — Evet

those who lived hard, fast, and left just as quick while were stuck in this mess.

I Saw R.E.M. As A Foetus!

Fri, 02/27/2009 - 21:58 — Anacher Forester

I'm only kidding. Probably 'cuz Randy's passing saddens me greatly.

Way back in the Dark Ages, rock music was destroyed and built back up again for the 2nd time in about three years. A slew of brilliant music was created & at an incredible pace. And in that time there was a period of time when no song better was than "Feast On My Heart."

-AF

42 comments