'Greetings spuds of the NW!,' proclaimed Bob Casale, keyboardist for '80s
icons, Devo, between songs during the
band's September
16th set at Portland's historic
Crystal Ballroom. The crowd, a healthy mix of longtime diehards and
curious hipsters that came of age in a post-New Wave milieu, returned
the favor with an hearty ovation, setting the tone for what would be an
enthusiastic affair.
On tour, ostensibly at least, to promote their most recent album, 2010's Something For Everybody, Devo took to the stage in the matching
blue jumpsuits and curious plastic beaks (the first of five wardrobe
changes, all meticulously
choreographed). The set was front-loaded with
newer tracks that bore all the hallmarks of the band's oeuvre to date.
Think propulsive, quirky, glitchy, rhythmic, nerdish, electronic,
mechanical, etc. Catchy pop music, only culture jacked and repurposed
for their band's creative and thought-provoking agenda.
Costume-changing into powder blue team jerseys and matching power domes,
Devo promptly segued into a triptych of radio singles — "Girl U Want," "Whip
It,," and "Planet Earth" — before retreating backstage for a short
intermission. When they returned, garbed now in yellow jumpsuits, they
continued to meter out the hits, working through "Satisfaction," "Secret
Agent," "Uncontrollable Urge," and "Jocko Homo," punctuating each with
flourishes both big and small (robotic dance poses, rifle pantomime,
call and response chants, transparent guitar straps) that were studied
and practiced but hardly rote or forced (not surprisingly, the band also
employed video feed and lighting to clever, artistic effect). The
brothers Mothersbaugh, in particular, were in rare form, with Mark
wading into the audience for repeated interactions with the Devotees and
Bob turning out perfect solos, only to flick away his guitar pick at
song's end, an instant keepsake for one lucky member of the audience.
The yellow suits gave way to black slacks and official band tees, just as
the quintet wound through "Smart Patrol," and a personal fave, "Gate of
Steel." Followed by a brief interlude, our heroes reappeared, clad this
time in Hawaiian-inspired buttonups, and with Mothersbaugh (Mark)
riffing on a package of Dorito's rebranded here as Devito's. Two
classics, "Freedom Of Choice," and "Beautiful World," closed the
performance, each a potent reminder that Devo remains a creative and
artistic force more than 30 years after first forming.
choreographed). The set was front-loaded with
newer tracks that bore all the hallmarks of the band's oeuvre to date.
Think propulsive, quirky, glitchy, rhythmic, nerdish, electronic,
mechanical, etc. Catchy pop music, only culture jacked and repurposed
for their band's creative and thought-provoking agenda.
