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Behind the SXSW Buzz: Devo
Devo made me move to Los Angeles in 1978. A friend who lived there sent me the 45 of Devo dropkicking the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” and said I needed to get to L.A. pronto, tonto. “You’re not going to believe what’s going on with music over here,” she wrote. I’m not a fan of art bands or concept rock, but what sold me on Devo were the songs. The band’s theory of de-evolution and yellow Tyvek uniforms and plastic hair isn’t what capitivated me: it was that incredible debut album “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo.”
Forget what it’s about, “Mongoloid” is a wonderfully melodic folk song. Meanwhile, “Uncontrollable Urge” and “Gut Feeling” rocked as hard as what anybody in black leather was playing. “Come Back Jonee” and “Clockout” were otherworldly and yet tethered to the times. Don’t think Brian Eno’s produced a finer album.
“We were able to connect our brain to our pelvis,” bassist Gerald Casale said over the phone of the band’s “sexy nerds” approach to songsmith.
The band had a novelty hit with “Whip It” in 1980 and milked MTV for all it was worth with that video and the one for “Freedom of Choice.” But ten years later, with “Smooth Noodle Maps,” Devo stopped making records. Mark Mothersbaugh made dough writing music for TV shows, like “PeeWee’s Playhouse,” and the former fellow Kent State art student Gerald Casale directed big budget videos for Foo Fighters, Soundgarden and the like.
So here it is 19 years later and Devo is coming to SXSW like so many other bands, looking for a record deal. “We are coming to announce to the world that we’re back, with a new record coming up, followed by a worldwide tour,” said Casale, who co-wrote most of the songs, and collaborated on the band’s quirky visionary graphics, with Mothersbaugh. “Things have become suddenly harmonious and we’re ready to exponentially spread the rate of de-evolution.” Casale promised a big production at SXSW. “We feel like we’re the house band on the Titanic,” he says.
Casale said Mothersbaugh was the hold-out who caved to the idea that Devo was ready to make new music again when the Swedish production team Teddybears brought Devo back in 2007 for the tune “Watch Us Work It” for a Dell commercial. “We hit it off with a whole new crowd,” he said.
The band has been playing live quite a bit lately, including their first show back home in Akton, Ohio in thirty years at an Oct. 2008 rally for Barack Obama. “They never got us,” Casale said of the Rubber City return. “We didn’t play there in 30 years because no one would come.”
After the band rekindled onstage, they started writing new songs- about 17 so far. Devo will perform three new songs at SXSW, then load up on all the hits and misses.
I should mention that the year I spent in L.A. was one of the worst of my life. I didn’t own a car, the only job I could get was at Winchell’s Donuts and the punks made fun of my long hair when I went to shows.
Thanks a lot, Devo.
But I got my revenge. I was the one who told the band that they’d be going up against Metallica at SXSW on Friday night. Devo plays the Austin Music Hall at midnight, while in the worst kept SXSW secret ever, Metallica is expected to hit the lights at Stubb’s about an hour earlier.
“You’re kidding,” Casale said. So much for being the top ticket, the biggest buzz, of the night.
But the men of Devo have nothing to worry about. Q- Are we not men? A- We are Devo-tees. We’ll take the plastic hair over the headbanging.
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Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: SXSW 2009
Comments
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By loki
March 20, 2009 11:44 AM | Link to this
Why pay to see two washed up has-been bands. I thought Austin was a People’s Republic? Where is the revolutionary vanguard? Your capitalist FIAT money is no good here.
By El.Conquistador
March 20, 2009 11:57 AM | Link to this
James Hetfield could never in a million years think of something as creative as wearing a flowerpot on his head.
By MCUFGator
March 20, 2009 12:28 PM | Link to this
No Mariah Carey = no reason to pay money.
By StinkyWeezilTeet
March 20, 2009 4:13 PM | Link to this
I saw DEVO on March 18th in Dallas with the new stage show and 3 new songs. From what I saw, I believe the world will be surprised by the new DEVO and stop calling them has-beens.