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TORONTO - Devo energetically cracked that whip, and then some, as the ‘70s New Wave rockers wrapped up a much anticipated two-night stand at The Phoenix on Tuesday night in what were their first Toronto performances in 25 years.
The purpose of the band’s current North American tour is to perform their two seminal albums, their 1978 debut, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo, on the first night, containing their cover of The Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction, and 1980’s Freedom Of Choice, which spawned their biggest hit, Whip It, on the second night, with a few added extras in each encore.
Both albums have recently been reissued in deluxe remastered editions and a new record, Devo’s first in 20 years, called Fresh, is due in the spring.
So the big questions were how would they sound after all this time and would their music, striking-sounding avant-garde dance-pop back in the day, stand up 30 years later?
It turns out lead singer-keyboardist Mark Mothersbaugh, bassist-keyboardist-vocalist Gerald Casale, and their respective brothers Bob Mothersbaugh (Bob 1) on guitar and Bob Casale (Bob 2) on keyboards - along with more recent recruit and expert beatmaker Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, Weezer) on drums - haven’t really grown up.
They’re still playful and vibrant performers, gamely sporting those striking red energy dome hats (as were some audience members) and grey paper jumpsuits with red crossing guard belts.
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Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale, in particular, were formidable frontmen during a lively and fast-paced set on Tuesday night that took all of 50 minutes as they performed Freedom Of Choice from start to finish in front of five light panels that really came alive as the show progressed.
“Adam Lambert got cancelled - that’s how devolved the world has become,” said Casale during the encore, referring to Lambert’s canned appearance on Good Morning America this week after his controversial performance on the American Music Awards Sunday night.
Casale even grabbed his crotch during Ton o’ Luv while Mothersbaugh cracked an imaginary whip over his head during Whip It, performed choreographed dance moves during Snowball and marched and saluted during That’s Pep!
There was also a Devo pinup girl, sporting the sexy librarian in glasses look, who came out with numbered placards indicating which track from Freedom Of Choice was about to be played.
And the Devo infantile mascot Booji Boy (Mark Mothersbaugh in a child-like mask) made an appearance during the final encore song, Beautiful World (from their 1981 album New Traditionalists) as he told an overlong story about going to Hollywood and getting picked up in a limo by Michael Jackson.
It was really the only flat note in an otherwise entertaining set from a band that has stood the test of time.
Preceding the group’s performance were the videos for Girl U Want, Whip It, and Freedom Of Choice, and it was those songs that proved to be the standouts of the night along with Snowball, Gates Of Steel and the encore number Be Stiff, the latter from their first EP of the same name.
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SET LIST:
Girl U Want
It’s Not Right
Whip It
Snowball
Ton o’ Luv
Freedom of Choice
Gates of Steel
Cold War
Don’t You Know
That’s Pep!
Mr. B’s Ballroom
Planet Earth
ENCORE:
Be Stiff
Beautiful World