Wednesday night, quirky post-punk pioneers Devo ended their “Hardcore Devo” tour in Austin at the Moody Theater. The tour nomenclature serves as an apt descriptor for the fans in attendance—those clad in plastic replica Devo hats who stood clinging to the barrier in front of the stage for more than an hour preceding the show. The tour borrows its name from the two collections of early Devo demos and rarities released in the early nineties, which remained out of print for over two decades until they were reissued last year.
Undoubtedly, last night’s concert-goers are more than familiar with the band’s early roots and socially aware undertones. This wasn’t a crowd who showed up just to hear “Whip It,” made clear from the onset and evidenced by the audience’s fervent cheering to obscure, older songs such as “Mechanical Man” and “Auto Modown,” which opened the night. Even those songs recognizable to the masses, namely “Jocko Homo,” once existed in early incarnations as the demos released on the Hardcore Devo collections.
A casual Devo listener might have been surprised by the persistence of the band’s constant socially incisive, wry banter. Hardcore fans know the band’s moniker stems from the term “de-evolution,” and the concept that humanity is de-evolving into primal beasts rather than improving to a more perfected state. In fact, the band formed in large part as a reaction to shootings on the campus of Kent State University.
From lamenting the sordid news on the front page of the newspaper before the band ever played a note, the group’s performance art and commentaries about human de-evolution permeated the evening. Although these social criticisms stood at the forefront of the show, the band’s costuming also contributed to the narrative of the evening; the band changed clothes several times, donning a variety of hats and jumpsuits to reflect the stages of their musical career.
In a way, these early songs both convey a purity of Devo’s artistic ambitious and also showcase the songs that would make the band recognizable. This may be Devo at their absolute best, a fact emphasized by the energy delivered by both the band and their fans. Undoubtedly, the band also felt an emotional investment in the evening as it ended a tour from which all proceeds are being donated to the family of band member Bob Casale, who passed away last year. Austin fans were happy to be a part of such a special evening and performance.
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