Devo

Devo (The De-Evolution Band) is a proto-industrial New Wave/Rock band originating from Akron, Ohio, whose first performance was in 1972. Co-founders Gerald Casale, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Bob Casale, were students at Kent State University at the time the National Guard shot and killed students at a protest against the U.S. invasion of Cambodia - the 'pivotal moment' in their founding, according to co-founder Gerry Casale.

History

Formed in 1972, Devo's original inspiration came from Oscar Kiss Maerth's "The Beginning Was the End": a pseudoscientific anthropological thesis which attributes the rise of man as an evolutionary accident caused by a species of sex-crazed, cannibalistic apes who developed tools to exploit each other sexually and feed on each others' brains. This metaphor is carried throughout Devo's work as an abstraction of modern society.

Related Topics:
1972 - Oscar Kiss Maerth - Pseudoscientific - Anthropological - Evolution - Sex - Cannibal - Ape - Metaphor - Abstraction - Society

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The core members of the group are Mark Mothersbaugh, the band's lead singer and synthesizer player, and Gerald V. (Gerry) Casale, the group's bassist and main songwriter. The first lineup formed in 1972 with Gerald Casale (bass), Mark Mothersbaugh (keyboards), Bob Lewis (lead guitar), Bob Casale (rhythm guitar), Rod Reisman (drums) and Fred Weber (vocals). Later versions of the band added Bob Mothersbaugh (lead guitar) and Jim Mothersbaugh (drums).

Related Topics:
Mark Mothersbaugh - Lead singer - Synthesizer - Bassist - Songwriter - 1972 - Bob Casale - Bob Mothersbaugh - Jim Mothersbaugh

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Devo's big break came in 1976 when their short film The Truth About De-Evolution won a prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival; it was then seen by David Bowie and Iggy Pop, who championed them and enabled Devo to secure a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records. By this time Alan Myers had replaced Jim Mothersbaugh as drummer. After David Bowie backed out due to previous commitments, their first album, "'" was produced by Brian Eno and featured a radical cover of the Rolling Stones' (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction and the controversially titled Mongoloid. In 1978, Lewis successfully sued the band for theft of intellectual property.

Related Topics:
1976 - Film - Ann Arbor Film Festival - David Bowie - Iggy Pop - Warner Brothers - Alan Myers - Album - Brian Eno - Cover - The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

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Although they started out with a mixture of traditional rock instruments and electronic effects, during the early 1980s Devo adopted mostly or entirely synthetic instrumentation, becoming one of the first American acts to perform on stage using only synthesizers; they were also one of the first groups in the world to regularly use radio microphones and microphone headsets on stage.

Related Topics:
1980s - Microphone

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Devo actively embraced the Church of the SubGenius in the early 1980s. In concert, Devo performed three times as the opening band for themselves, pretending to be a Christian soft-rock group called "Dove (the Band of Love)". They also recorded "E-Z Listening Muzak" versions of their own songs to play before their concerts. In 1982, they appeared in the Neil Young film "Human Highway."

Related Topics:
Church of the SubGenius - 1980s - Opening band - Christian soft-rock - E-Z Listening - Muzak - 1982 - Neil Young - Human Highway

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Devo remained popular in many countries and they had a large and loyal following in Australia. The nationally broadcast '70s-'80s pop TV Countdown was one of the first programs in the world to broadcast their video clips, and they were given consistent radio support by Sydney-based non-commercial rock station Double Jay (2JJ), which one of the first rock stations outside America to play their recordings, and (at least until "Whip It" became a hit) almost certainly the only station in the country that would play their music. Their popularity and sales slipped over the next few years, however, although they produced the albums New Traditionalists (1981), Oh, No! It's Devo (1982), Shout (1984), and Total Devo (1988).

Related Topics:
Australia - '70s - '80s - Countdown - Sydney - Double Jay - New Traditionalists - 1981 - Oh, No! It's Devo - 1982 - Shout - 1984 - Total Devo - 1988

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After the release of Smooth Noodle Maps in 1990, the band stopped recording and full scale touring, although it has been revived on several occasions for one-off performances and short tours including those in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2005. In 2001, members of Devo formed the surf band The Wipeouters, claiming that it was actually a reunion of the first garage band they started while in their early teens.

Related Topics:
Smooth Noodle Maps - 1990 - Tours - 1996 - 2000 - 2004 - 2005 - 2001 - Surf - The Wipeouters - Garage band

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Mothersbaugh has gone on to considerable success writing and producing music for television programs (starting with Pee Wee's Playhouse), video games, animated cartoons and movies. In 1985, he released an elaborately packaged solo cassette, "Musik for Insomniaks," which was later expanded and released as two CDs. His company, Mutato Muzika, provides employment for Devo guitarists Bob Mothersbaugh and Bob Casale: the former works as a composer, and the latter as a recording engineer. Gerry Casale, the group's bass player, has directed rock videos by other bands, including Rush and Foo Fighters.

Related Topics:
Writing - Television - Pee Wee's Playhouse - Video games - Animated cartoon - 1985 - Cassette - CD - Mutato Muzika - Composer - Recording engineer - Rush - Foo Fighters

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In 2003, the band did a special version of "Whip It" for Swiffer commercials.

Related Topics:
2003 - Swiffer

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The band is currently working on a project with Disney known as Devo 2.0. Details are scarce, but it seems that a band of child actors (among them Nathan Norman http://www.nathannorman.net/pages/news.htm) has been assembled and will be either re-recording Devo songs or pretending to play them.

Related Topics:
Disney - Devo 2.0 - Nathan Norman

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A quote from the Akron Beacon Journal elucidates, "Also Devo recently finished a new project in cahoots with Disney called Devo 2.0, which features the band playing old songs and two new ones with vocals provided by children. Mothersbaugh doesn't rule out the idea of the band gathering in the studio, eventually, to record a new Devo album."

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