On November 16th, Devo made their way to Inglewood’s YouTube Theater in what was supposed to be the southern California leg of the 50th Anniversary and Farewell tour. However, in perfect Devo form – as in a mix of satire, music, and humor – when word came that this isn’t actually a farewell tour, it made me laugh.
Apparently, an overzealous marketing rep released it as such and it somehow made it to press. I hope for all of us “Spud Boys” this isn’t the end, and they continue their journey of De-evolution.
D E V O | FAREWELL TOUR
Before our heroes from the future made their way on stage, we were treated to a montage of video clips from the past, kind of to give those not “in the know” a little historical perspective of the band’s history and music. Then before the band took the stage, a bit of Devo’s 1979 tour video played, featuring a comical record executive – Rod Rooter – trying to get the band to sell out for big cash. Fast forward to Rooter’s lament of today; an older, grayer, and balder Rooter appeared onscreen, riding an exercise bike and challenging the boys to be more like Kid Rock.
The message was clear: the mindless consumerism the band first targeted in the 1970s has only grown more desperate and insidious in the intervening half century. Soon Rooter begrudgingly introduces who we came to see – Devo!
The night started off with more of a message than satire or humor, courtesy of 2009’s “Don’t Shoot (I’m A Man),” but followed up with the strange but fun “Peek a Boo” and “Going Under.”
Those two got everyone up on their feet, and then singing along with “That’s Good.” With the band changing from their not-so-standard black button-up shorts, now in matching black shirts and iconic red energy domes, heading full speed through classics like “Girl U Want” and “Whip It.”
Devo really shook things up with their version of the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.” It’s like they took the original and cranked up the weirdness, throwing in glitches and all. Then there’s “Going Under,” which they stripped down and gave a cool twist. Then during a costume change came a video break where a glitchy Carl Sagan talks about the galaxy before the band switches into their yellow jumpsuits.
The yellow jumpsuits acted as kind of a segue way, or maybe a new segment in time, for us for the night. Heading into the latter part of the performance, it erupted into a cacophony of loud, frenzied guitar-driven songs which included probably their most energetic, true to the original performance of “Uncontrollable Urge” I’ve seen in the last three or so years.
Mark Mothersbaugh, acting as an enthusiastic cheerleader, brought a spirited rendition of “Mongoloid,” complete with pom-poms. Mothersbaugh, his brother Bob, and Gerald Casale kept hitting us with hit song after hit song. During “Jocko Homo,” Mark ventured into the crowd, repeatedly posing the question, “Are we not men?”
The main set reached its new height with a dynamic combo of a high-energy “Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA,” followed by the anthemic “Gates of Steel.”
Devo exited the stage against the backdrop of the “Devo Corporate Anthem,” only to return for a final encore in coordinated tops that looked like floor mats as shirts, spelling out D-E-V-O on the front.
There wasn’t really what I would call an encore, but in their finale, they rolled out “Beautiful World” and gave the audience an extra treat with the appearance of Booji Boy, the band’s mascot, portrayed by Mark Mothersbaugh in a perpetually unsettling little boy mask.
Then a special treat as Terri Nunn from Berlin joined in, sharing vocals with Booji Boy and contributing harmonies to the entire affair.
All in all it was a night of pure fun; there were no attitudes, just smiles, dancing, singing. A night where you knew every song and every lyric. It was like “Cheers” where everyone knows your name – we were all friends just happily spiraling to De-evolution together.
