Devo

Iconic new wave band DEVO celebrates its 50th anniversary with a farewell tour that includes a stop at the idyllic Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Saturday, November 3. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster, Friday, July 28, at 10AM.

DEVO, the rock band with the nonconformist message formed in 1973 in Akron, OH. Their underground hit, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! was seen as a call to arms by some and the band has continued to capture the minds and hearts of its fans over the past five decades.

The band broke through to the mainstream with 1980’s Freedom of Choice, which contained the platinum-selling hit single, “Whip It”, and represented a peak in their songwriting. The video for “Whip It” became an MTV smash, juxtaposing the band’s low-budget futuristic look against a down-home farm setting and hints of S&M.

DEVO’s next two albums, New Traditionalists and Oh NO It’s DEVO!continued their 1980’s decade world touring success accompanied by the hit songs, “Beautiful World” and “That’s Good” respectively. Shout was released in 1984, and Total Devo in 1988, followed by a live album titled Now It Can Be Told: DEVO Live at The Palace in 1989. After releasing a studio album entitled Smooth Noodle Maps in 1990 the band left the world of touring and recording to pursue film and TV projects.

By 2009 DEVO decided to reverse course, abandoning their insular, secret world in favor of embracing all the modern techniques of marketing, focus groups, crowd sourcing and social media while simultaneously offering wry satire on that embrace. Together with WBR they hired Mother to run the decidedly edgy publicity and marketing for what would become their 9th studio recording, Something for Everybody. Songs and final mixes were chosen by fans as were DEVO’s new, blue Energy Dome color.

Many licensing deals followed for the group’s new songs including “Fresh”, “Human Rocket” and “Please Baby Please”. Then, in 2010, the group embarked on a year-long concert tour bringing a mix of old and new music wrapped in up-to-the-minute theatrics, light shows and video.

Currently the band is developing a musical based on their alternate world, Spudland, populated with such characters as Booji Boy, Dr. Byrthfood and the nefarious Rod Rooter as well as placing finishing touches on a darkly comic, “DEVO origins” feature film script. The band is confident that these major endeavors, when realized will show a new generation that de-evolution is real.