Devo Rocks Detroit!

De-evolution was on full display at the historic Fillmore (formerly The State Theatre) the last Saturday in June when Devo brought their 50th anniversary/farewell tour to Detroit. The faithful fans and followers of the legendary art punk collective lined the streets around the venue for hours ahead of the show, and the band delivered an amazing night of music to all. Primarily focusing on music from their first and third albums, Devo ran through hits and fan favorites that apply to the modern political and social landscape as well or better today than when originally released. Co-lead singers Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale maintained consistently high energy throughout the show, leading the rest of the band and many on the GA floor in the group's trademark robotic choreography and running in place all evening. 

Opening with the pulsing beat of "Don't Shoot" from 2010's Something for Everybody, Devo's most recent album, the rest of the performance dug back into the late '70s and early '80s with spirited renditions of "Peek-A-Boo!," "That's Good," and "Girl U Want" engaging the audience who sang and danced along. Playing their signature song, 1980's "Whip It" near the end of the first third of the concert was somewhat surprising but fit in well among the order of the other songs and got an expected, enthusiastic response from the crowd. 

Somewhat similarly to Weird Al Yankovic's carefully choreographed mid-show costume changes, Devo utilized video breaks that allowed them to feature various outfits from different points in their history, such as their iconic red energy domes, then the bright yellow tear-away jump suits, and even the triangular smocks emblazoned with a single letter from the word "Devo" as seen in some of the videos and live performances in the early '80s. The middle of the show, especially, harkened back to the bands earliest days of success with a run through their creative deconstructions of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" and Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," followed by signature tracks from their debut LP, including "Uncontrollable Urge," "Mongoloid," and "Jocko Homo," which resulted in the night's most engaged crowd responses ("We are Devo!") and featured a portion of "Round on the Ends, High in the Middle, O-Hi-O" in spite of the performance being in Michigan and surely enemy territory for most Ohioans.

The third act of the show was presented more as an encore but included some of the strongest moments of the night, especially on "Freedom of Choice" which no one in the band needed to set up or explain in these post-postmodern days in politics and society and concluded with a lengthy rendition of "Beautiful World," the sarcastically clean-sounding and upbeat tune that compares conflicting social outlooks. Mothersbaugh donned his famous Booji Boy mask and sang in that character's comical falsetto to close the show, much to the delight of the crowd.

While Devo were one of the pioneers of working with projections and visual effects on backing screens, they continue to show contemporary artists and concertgoers new and effective ways in which they can be used, especially with the technological advancements of the last 35 years. The night was both a treat for long time fans who got to experience Devo live potentially one last time and even more so for younger fans who may have missed their entire classic run and possibly even subsequent reunions. Now featuring three founding members (Mothersbaugh's brother Bob is also still on guitar and vocals), Devo push themselves hard to represent their legacy and to maintain a tone in their delivery that is both uniquely their own while being an inspiration to countless bands and artists from over the past half-century. 

Devo (6/28/25 * Detroit, MI) set list:
(Rod Rooter intro video)
Don't Shoot
Peek-A-Boo!
Going Under
That's Good
Girl U Want
Whip It
Planet Earth
------(Carl Sagan video interlude)---------- 
Satisfaction (Rolling Stones)
Secret Agent Man (P.F. Sloan)
Uncontrollable Urge
Mongoloid
Jocko Homo/Round on the End and High in the Middle O-HI-O (Bryan/Hanlon)
Smart Patrol
Mr. DNA
Gates of Steel
-------(Devo Corporate Anthem video)-----
Star-Spangled Banner (Key/Smith) (tease)
Freedom of Choice
Gut Feeling
Slap Your Mammy
Beautiful World (w/Booji Boy)
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