HIGH FREQUENCIES: Richard Barone's 'back pages'

The early ‘80s were a time like no other for bands just starting out. Rock ’n' roll bands? Naw. Not then. Call them punk, new wave, alternative. They were anything but r’n’r at the time, at least, that’s what the major label marketing teams would have you believe as they tried to sell the music to you at a time when the established bands being played on the homogenized FM radio stations  — Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, the Eagles first come to mind — would not get out of the way.

The new bands forged friendships as they traveled up and down I-85, from Atlanta and Athens to Hoboken, NJ, and New York City, playing the new clubs that had opened along the way — 688, The 40 Watt Club, Maxwells, CBGB — second homes to these young musicians, mostly just out of college, who were reshaping the musical landscape of the United States.

One such friendship that has remained is that between members of Pylon (Athens, GA) and The Bongos (Hoboken, NJ). This Thursday, June 19, finds them crossing paths once again as The Bongos’ Richard Barone opens for Pylon Reenactment Society (featuring original Pylon vocalist Vanessa Briscoe Hay), at The Drunken Unicorn.

As Barone is touring without the other Bongos, expect the singer/songwriter to feature songs from his many solo albums — his "cool blue halo," which established chamber pop as a category unto its own, remains a "must hear" — as well as Bongos favorites that long-time fans know and love.

I asked Barone to comment on the Pylon/Bongos relationship.

“The Bongos were formed as a new decade was starting, and we were driven to make the most of what was happening. Which was everything. The CBGB/punk scene had been a catalyst. Dance music was everywhere, and ‘rock discos’ were opening. And then, in Athens, The B-52’s first indie single, ‘Rock Lobster’ on DB Recs, opened things up further. It was while watching The B-52’s at CBGB’s that we got our name. Cindy Wilson sat on the stage at some point playing bongo drums. As we drove back to Hoboken, blurting out potential, random band names that had gotten more and more ridiculous, our drummer, Frank, said, ‘How about ‘The Bongos’,’ and it stuck. Two years later, we were to tour with the B’s all over the U.S., and we became lifelong friends. But, back to 1980...

“Our home venue, Maxwell’s, was a recently opened restaurant (where Frank was the cook), and we played in the front room. Hoboken is only one square mile, and there wasn’t much of a live music scene, so when we played at Maxwell’s, it seemed the whole town would come out, filling the sidewalk to look into the restaurant windows. The fire department came because of overcrowding. That’s when we knew something cool was going to happen.

“Our first out-of-town shows were in Atlanta and Athens. We were three Bongos then, Rob Norris, Frank Giannini, and I, and we drove down to play at the 688 Club in Atlanta and the 40 Watt Club in Athens in Rob’s beat-up, white, 1966 Plymouth Valiant. All three of us sat in the front seat, with all the gear in the back (and strapped on the roof, like Hoboken Hillbillies). I’m not sure if that was the time we first met Pylon, but I think so. We were already big fans of their first single, also on DB Recs. There was something in their minimalism, catchy choruses, and oblique lyrics that reminded us of our own early singles on the Fetish Records label, which came out at the same time as theirs. Once we were down in Georgia, we saw that the music scene around Athens was like a parallel universe to what we were part of, and was growing, up north in Hoboken. Both were small communities, each a stone’s throw away from a big city. Both were slightly apart from the major media centers, so they could grow in their own ways on their own terms. We welcomed Pylon to Hoboken, they came to our apartment, and they played at Maxwell’s three times in 1980 alone.

“Since those early days, Vanessa and I have stayed in touch and have performed together in many different ways and configurations, through many ages and stages, and it's always amazing. She has joined me onstage for my solo shows in Atlanta, and I have guested on guitar on Pylon Reenactment Society shows up in New York. In 2020, The Bongos and PRS shared a bill at The EARL in Atlanta, with my mom in the front row, the last time she saw me perform. It was an unforgettable show and a beautiful reunion of the spirits of two bands who truly loved and admired each other. Vanessa is like a sister to me. We are Luke and Leia, fighting dark forces with light and love, wielding rhythms, voices, and joy. Any time I have the opportunity to work with her and PRS, you can count me IN!”

Pylon Reenactment Society and Richard Barone perform at The Drunken Unicorn, 736 Ponce De Leon Ave, NE, Thursday, June 19, 2025. 8 PM showtime. $20 advance, $25 day of show.