Devo is one of the most inventive and visual entertaining groups that rose up during the '70s New Wave movement. Their 1978 debut, "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!", was an epic release and took the quintet of denizens from Akron, Ohio to success (and landing them a musical spot on "Saturday Night Live" later that same year).
The band was also a perfect act for video and Devo was a large staple during the early MTV days.
Currently undertaking a farewell tour (labeled as "DEVO: Celebrating 50 Years of De-Evolution"), the band performed at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway on May 9, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts (USA).
Raucous versions of "Shoot (I'm a Man)" and 1982's hit, "Peek-A-Boo!", opened the set which found Devo in peak form.
Consisting of original members Mark Mothersbaugh (vocals and keyboards), Gerald Casale (vocals and bass) and Bob Mothersbaugh (guitar), the band is now rounded out with newer recruits Josh Hager (guitar and keyboards) and Jeff Friedl (drums). Devo continued the cerebral musical assault with "Going Under", "That's Good", and a phenomenal take of "Girl U Want".
Not even at the show's halfway point, they trotted out their biggest hit, "Whip It", the song that elevated Devo on the pop charts (peaking at #14 in the USA in 1980), and garnered them a more mainstream following.
After "Planet Earth", the group left the stage (while a Carl Sagan video played) and returned donning their classic yellow jumpsuits and red energy dome hats and railed into their eclectic version of The Rolling Stones', "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". The Boston crowd was elated to sing along - (especially when Mark Mothersbaugh recreated his almost robotic chanting of "Baby" 34 times!).
Another cover tune, "Secret Agent Man," kept the 60's aura alive, but Devo quickly returned with original tracks "Uncontrollable Urge" and the first single Devo ever released, "Mongoloid."
The classics continued with "Jocko Homo" (originally the flip side of the "Mongoloid" 45 rpm) and a frantic meshing of "Smart Patrol" which immediately went into "Mr. DNA" and concluded the set with 1980's "Gates of Steel".
Before returning for the encore, a pre-recorded tape of the "Devo Corporate Anthem" was pumped into the arena that led into a trio with "Freedom of Choice", "Gut Feeling (Slap Your Mammy)" and ending with "Beautiful World".
Mark Mothersbaugh sang "Beautiful World" while dressed in costume as the character "Booji Boy" ("Booji Boy" debuted in the Devo short film, "The Truth About De-Evolution" in 1976).
Devo had not performed in Boston for nearly 17 years, so the prospects for this show were quite elevated. Devo surpassed all expectations, leaving the crowd euphoric.
MUSIC PREMIERES
Four years on from the ‘Actual Life’ series lifting him into the mainstream spotlight, Fred Again.. continues to feel unavoidable. The London producer and DJ born Fred Gibson has moved at a relentless pace, bouncing between sold out stadium dates in New York and surprise appearances at Sheffield’s 1,000 capacity Forge, while also making history as the first electronic artist to top the bill at Reading and Leeds in 2024.
Where the ‘Actual Life’ releases and his fourth album, 2024’s ‘Ten Days’, leaned into warmth and joy pulled from ordinary moments, Gibson has also sharpened his instinct for high impact club weapons rooted in garage, dubstep and jungle. That side of his output lives on ‘USB’, an “infinite album” first imagined in 2022 as a home for tracks that exist outside any fixed universe, including defining moments like ‘Rumble’ and ‘Jungle’.
‘USB002’, the second vinyl only chapter of the ‘USB’ project, brings together 16 recent tracks, many of which surfaced gradually on streaming services over a ten week stretch. The music was shaped live, in step with ten unannounced DJ appearances across the world from Dublin to Mexico City. Even with a Glastonbury style registration system in place, The Times reported that 100,000 people tried to secure tickets for the opening night in Glasgow.
Appropriately, ‘USB002’ feels alive and constantly in motion, helped along by contributions from close collaborators such as Floating Points and Sammy Virji. The rigid, techno driven pressure of ‘Ambery’ echoes elements of Floating Points’ 2019 album ‘Crush’, while Gibson’s take on ‘The Floor’ builds like the slow climb of a rollercoaster before dropping back to earth without warning.
The guest list stretches beyond the usual dance circles, with two Australian guitar bands popping up in unexpected ways. ‘You’re A Star’ reworks Amyl and The Sniffers’ ‘Big Dreams’ into a breakbeat driven rush, while ‘Hardstyle 2’ pulls the experimental post punk edge of Shady Nasty into an Underworld adjacent space alongside Kettama. Gibson’s real trick is his ability to connect with anyone. These tracks are not reinterpretations but full takeovers.
The visual world wrapped around the ‘USB002’ rollout reinforces the instinct behind the music. Phones were prohibited at shows staged in vast warehouse spaces under sweeping light rigs, while Gibson’s team shared striking black and white footage and created artwork for each single on site. Bottling that sense of urgency, the project is rooted in the thrill of the present moment, something Gibson seems able to summon simply by turning up.
If the ‘Actual Life’ series and ‘Ten Days’ captured passing snapshots of experience, ‘USB’ is defined by constant movement, a space where boundaries are removed entirely. Sitting somewhere between an album and a playlist, ‘USB002’ underlines why Fred Again.. feels so dominant right now, and suggests that his current run may only be the beginning of something much bigger.
