« Sumo Update - Day 9 | Main | Asashoryu loses! 6 within 1 win of lead! »
January 17, 2006
Q: Are we not men? A: We are still DEVO!
Last Saturday, I had the rare opportunity to step back in time and see one of the great acts of the 1980's. Do not call them a one-hit wonder. DEVO were much more than just Whip It: They were original, wrote great music (if there are any new bands reading this, cover "Girl U Want" and I guarantee a hit!), and they were one of only 2 80's bands my brother and I both agreed was great. (The other was The Knack, and yes, I still think My Sharona rocks.) The show was in Agoura Hills, some random town I'd never heard of -- probably the most secret Devo gig since Muffy Tepperman's Bat Mitzvah on Square Pegs.
Anyway, though I must admit to some nostalgia -- every time Mark Mothersbaugh went for a familiar synthesizer solo, I wanted to go roller-skating or play Atari -- these guys can still play and sing. They don't quite look as good in their yellow Devo jumpsuits and red energy domes (AKA flower-pot hats) -- in fact, they're gray-haired and fat -- but they didn't disappoint on energy or choreography. Why would a band that hadn't had a hit or put out a new song in over 20 years play 4 gigs a year in small local clubs? It seems it's because they really enjoy doing it.
On to the concert:
After a brief video montage of classic Devo videos, the band appeared in yellow jumpsuits and red energy domes, playing "That's Good" in true 80's-synth glory: guitar, drums, and 3 synthesizer players. They then played a couple others in this configuration, including the aforementioned great piece of songwriting, Girl U Want, and then they switched to guitar-band format. Little known Devo fact: the band was really much more guitar-centered than synthesizer, and always played live drums, too. Switching to three guitars, bass and drums (with the occasional Mothersbaugh synth solo), they broke into a greatest hits set list, especially focused on their first breakthrough album. Songs played included Whip It, Mongoloid, Gates of Steel, Satisfaction, the truly outstanding Uncontrollable Urge, and Are We Not Men?, at which point they tore off their yellow jumpsuits to reveal matching Devo t-shirts, shorts and knee pads (not the most flattering look for aging nerd-rockers). They then finished with a few more, closing with the seemingly never-ending (in a good way) Come Back Jonee.
The arrangements were all almost exactly the same as the album versions, and the band was surprisingly tight for guys that presumably don't play together that often. (And though we know some still have flourishing musical careers, who knows if they all still play?) Mothersbaugh's voice sounded exactly the same as always (though I guess it was never exactly about the notes with Devo vocals). The crowd was enthusiastic -- who knew there were so many Devo fans?
As Devo's bass player Gerry Casale said, "you don't have to look any further than the chimp in the White House to see that de-evolution is still happening" and considering some of the popular music today (Strokes, Hives, etc.), it's clear Devo are still relevant, maybe more so today than ever.
Posted by JoshHornik at January 17, 2006 06:42 PM