|
Devo Whips It Out For Chicago |
|
|
|
Written by JORDAN BRANDES / Photos by MAX BLAU
|
|
Monday, 23 August 2010 |
Devo is an acquired taste, that much is for sure. In a sea full of teenyboppers still camping out desperately awaiting Lady GaGa on stage hours later Devo must have been shocking. Their brand of post-modern synth punk pushed the envelope in the 1980s during their heyday. Thirty years later the boys have gotten older but haven’t lost their touch.
| | |
Devo |
Lollapalooza - Parkways Foundation Stage
Chicago, IL
August 6, 2010
|
| | |
They should be commended for starting their set with newer songs like “Peek-a-boo” and “Going Under” before launching into their more popular tunes. “I can’t stand them!” a young girl next to me in the crowd adamantly told her boyfriend “they’re old and their music is annoying.” To be fair she was about 17 and obviously just trying to get a good seat for Gaga dragging her boyfriend along for the ride. He on the other hand was very obviously enjoying the music.
By halfway through their hour-long set they had alienated a good portion of their younger audience. I can’t say I blame the younger ones though, Devo was never meant to be easy listening. Songs like “Jocko Homo” and “Mongoloid”, both of which they played during the show, were ground breaking in their time. Unflinchingly avant-garde Devo’s style has never been easy to define. There is no other band like them on the planet.
Despite all of that one can’t help but think of Devo as a bit of a novelty act in 2010. Their music represents a specific time in history and doesn’t really translate into further generations. That mid-1980s synthesizer heavy music seemed to stay in the 80s for some reason. While they are still amazing live their age does show, they have wrinkles and have gotten much heavier. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact it’s inevitable.
I’ve been a fan of Devo for years and went into all out fanboy mode the moment they played “Uncontrollable Urge.” Their energy still pushes the limits and they remain totally unafraid to play the music they want the way they want. That is admirable in any age. I hate to sound like an old man but that kind of balls to the wall attitude is rarely seen in modern music anymore. Far too often the concern is record sales and viral marketing instead of the music and what it means to fans. Many claim to have that purpose but it’s easy to see through the façade.
Devo will undoubtedly go down in history as a legendary act at Lollapalooza. I’m proud to say I was there.
Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
