Danny Beard from Atlanta helped Pylon to record their first single "Cool/Dub" in 1979 at Stone Mountain Studios in Atlanta, and Pylon began to tour the US. The album Gyrate followed and was released in late 1980. Early career highlights included a performance at Central Park opening for the B-52's, a tour of the UK, opening a few dates for U2 on their first major US tour and the release of the album Chomp.[3]
Pylon decided to quit while they were still having fun. They broke up for the first time in 1983 after playing a "final" show, which was taped for The Athens Show. This was never formally released. In 1986, Hay was filmed for the movie Athens, GA: Inside Out and spoke about her experiences with Pylon. She and Bob Hay were married in 1986. In 1987 they had their first daughter.[4]
In 1989, Pylon reformed. Career highlights the second time around included tours with both R.E.M. and the B-52's, performances at SXSW and CMJ. Hits, a compilation of their early material was reissued by DB Records in 1989. Pylon recorded their third album Chain for the Atlanta label Sky Records in 1991. Pylon broke up a second time in 1992.They played several more shows including the South by Southwest Festival in 1990 and 1991, but when guitarist Bewley decided to leave in 1991, the band broke up again.
Vanessa Hay became an RN in 1994. In 1993, she and Bob Hay had their second daughter.[5]
Randy Bewley approached the other band members about reforming Pylon, just for fun, in 2004. In August, 2004 Pylon played an unannounced show at Little Kings in Athens, Georgia. In 2005, they played a series of dates in Athens and Atlanta, including Athfest and at the Atlanta Heroes awards by the invitation of the B-52's. Jason Gross, Perfect Sound Forever encouraged them to look into reissuing their first album, Gyrate, on CD. Jeff Calder (The Swimming Pool Q's) helped with the process of finding the tapes to restore at Southern Tracks Studios in Atlanta and Rodney Mills remastered them at Rodney Mills Masterhouse in Duluth, Georgia. DFA records in New York approached Pylon about reissuing this material, unaware that Pylon were already working toward this. James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem (band), had been including Pylon's song "Danger" in his DJ sets for several years and was interested in re—issuing Pylon's first album Gyrate on his label DFA. Gyrate Plus was reissued on October 16, 2007.[6] A remastered Chomp More was reissued on October 20, 2009.[7]
A 7-inch vinyl single "Gravity / Altitude" by Pylon was issued in April 2016 by Chunklet as a part of the Pylon Live project. A double vinyl album was issued on July 25, 2016. This music was recorded at the first final performance on December 1, 1983 at the Mad Hatter in Athens, GA.[9] Vanessa performed with Pylon Reenactment Society at both release events along with Swimming Pool Q's and members of Love Tractor.
Since 2014, Hay has fronted the Pylon Reenactment Society, a Pylon tribute act who have featured members from more recent Athens bands like Supercluster (band), the Glands and Casper & the Cookies.[10] In a 2016 Portland Mercury interview, Hay said, "It's been inspirational, if that's the right word, to be able to play this music again. I really don't want people to forget Pylon. These are different people and we are re-enacting this experience, so it's not exactly Pylon, but it's fresh and done in the same spirit". In October 2017, Pylon Reenactment Society self-released an EP initially recorded on December 11, 2016, for broadcast in Los Angeles, California, for DJ Michael Stock's KXLU show "Part Time Punks," called "Part Time Punks Session." In March 2018, Hay was named one of the “25 Best Frontwomen of All Time” by Paste Magazine[11]
On February 9,2024, Pylon Reenactment Society released their full length album debut on Strolling Bones Records titled Magnet Factory. The album of eleven songs includes two tunes written by Pylon in 1979, but never formally recorded in the studio – “3 x 3” and “Heaven (In Your Eyes)” alongside nine original songs. One of the new tracks (“Fix It”) features vocals by Kate Pierson. The graphics for the package were designed by Michael Lachowski, original bassist for Pylon.[12][13][14][15]
Declaration of Independents - 13 Tracks of U.S. Rock 1980, Vinyl LP, Various artists (1980, Ambition Records AMB1, Basement Records BASE 6005, Stiff Records Yank 2)[25]
Jericho Go, Vinyl LP, Various artists (1985, DB Recs / Stiff Records D BAT80) (DB Recs / Victor Musical Industries, Inc. VIL 28034)[26]
Athens, GA - Inside / Out, Vinyl LP, Various artists (1987, I.R.S. Records IRS6185)
KFJC 98.7 Fifty - Blowing Minds Since 1959, Vinyl double record LP, Various artists (2009, No label KJFC24)[29]
Keith Haring - The World of Keith Haring - Influences + Connections , Vinyl triple record LP boxset, Triple CD boxset, Various artists (2019, Soul Jazz, Ltd. SJR LP444)[30]
Blank Generation- A Story of US and Canadian Punk and It's Aftershocks 1975-1981, Five CD boxset, Various artists (2023, Cherry Red Records, (CRCDBOX147)[31]
Motherhood (2009), songtrack song "Stop It," Pylon mentioned as The Pylons by Eliza Uma Thurmond, the main character who also dances with a bicycle messenger to this song.[35][36][37]
Beep (1990), Pylon (band), from CD: Hits, a compilation, DB Records.Reissued CD: Chomp More by DFA Records (2009). Directed and edited by Michael Lachowski
Look Alive (1992), Pylon (band), from album Chain, Sky Records. Directed by Jim McKay / C-100.
Neat In The Street (2011), Supercluster (band), from: single "Paris Effect"/"Neat In The Street", Studio Mouse Productions/Cloud Recordings. Written by The Side Effects (Butchart/Ellison/Swartz), 1980. Directed and edited by Hana Hay.
Memory Of The Future (2012), Supercluster (band), from: single “Things We Used To Drink”/“Memory Of The Future”, Studio Mouse Productions. Directed by Hana Hay and Hannah Jones from artwork by Hannah Jones.
Beep (2017), Pylon Reenactment Society, from Vinyl 12” Ep Part Time Punks Sessiom, PRS for Chunklet Industries, from unreleased documentary “Athens, GA...30 Years On” directed by Bill Cody,edited by Tony Brazier.
3 x 3 (2023), Pylon Reenactment Society, from: digital single,Strolling Bones Records. Written by Pylon (band)° (Bewley,Briscoe Hay, Crowe, Lachowski), 1979. directed by Bill Cody,edited by Tony Brazier.[41]
^George-Warren, Holly; Romanowski, Patricia, eds. (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 792. ISBN0-7432-9201-4. Like an apolitical answer to England's Gang of Four, Pylon played a brutally physical, stripped-down form of funk rock
^Smith, Lee Valentine (18 January 2010). "We Are Pylon". Georgia Music Magazine. Retrieved 10 March 2017. Even though the band did break up shortly after the album was released in '83, it remained very much alive in fan interest and support.
^Hinely, Tim (1 February 2016). "Back To Athens". Blurt. Retrieved 10 March 2017. I have to confess that I married the lead singer (of The Squalls) Bob Hay, but I would never let my musical taste be clouded by the rose colored glasses of love,right?
^Hinely, Tim (1 February 2016). "Back To Athens". Blurt. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
