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AUGUST 25th & 26th, 2005
CHICAGO, IL - HOUSE OF BLUES
Before DEVO had their soundcheck, Ray Amico and I got the band and crew together onstage for a group photo. These Chicago shows would be the last shows that Ray Amico, our tour manager, would be able to attend this year.
I also returned home on August 27th, but will join DEVO again for their
October shows in Oakland and San Diego. We were both kind of sad that this was the last show we'd experience together for a while, but we were very determined to document it as best we could via photos & video.
Both Chicago performances were fantastic, and Jerry and Josh gave it their all, despite their injuries from earlier in the tour. I remember that Mark's bouncey balls looked especially good flying off the stage in Chicago. One of them hit me right between the eyes as I was standing behind my camera & tripod at the soundboard. It made me laugh.
It should be noted that Jerry Casale's solo CD was played over the P.A. system at each of DEVO's 2005 shows, just prior to the start of their set. More info coming to ClubDevo.com soon on Jihad Jerry & The Evildoers.
Some friends who I was glad to see in Chicago: Aron Packer of Aron Packer Gallery in Chicago, Kent & Linda Mueller of KM Art Gallery in Milwaukee, Jessica DeNardo, Scott Orsi, Rev. AbNorm, Vince Osborn, Iliff, Chris & Margaret, Cynthia Plaster Caster, Darren Wacker, Frank and Lisa of SmogVeil Records, Ed, Benito Herrera, Mal Rorrer, and anyone else I forgot. I know there were quite a few spuds in attendance.
My apologies to those fans who I couldn't get into The Foundation Room party after the show. But believe me, you *really* didn't miss anything. The room was full of an undesirable mass of humans, and the music was hideous/bland club music. There was no food or drinks ready for the band, so most of them only stayed a few minutes. I left with a few friends soon after, since there was no way we were going to have a good time in there. We went back to my hotel room and traded DEVO stories until late.
I went home to NC on August 27th, and was finally able to catch up on some bills, work, email, phone calls, etc. Oh, and of course I spent some quailty time with Booper.
READ CAPTAIN CORRUPTION'S REVIEW OF THE CHICAGO SHOWS
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SEPTEMBER 1st , 2005
ANAHEIM, CA - HOUSE OF BLUES
I wasn't able to attend this show, but I'm hoping that someone will send me some photos of the show so that I can include them in this report.
Contact Me if you would like submit photos, or write a report on the show.
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OCTOBER 8th , 2005
OAKLAND, CA - PARAMOUNT THEATRE
The October dates were the last leg of the 2005 Tour for DEVO.
Jerry's back ailment, a herniated L5 disc acquired early in the tour, didn't stop him from jerkin' back n' forth onstage until now. His doctor warned that he could become paralyzed if he continued to press the limits of his movements onstage, and that he would soon have to undergo surgery to fix the problem. The only option was for Jerry to perform immobile in Oakland and San Diego, then to get surgery and heal before their shows in January. A friend designed & built a big, black, monolithic steel rig for GVC to be strapped to, complete with blue & red backlighting, which looked great onstage. Jerry and the band had jokingly discussed wheeling him onstage in a Hannibal Lecter device earlier in the tour, but I don't think anyone thought it was actually happen.
Oakland spudette Kristin Edwards, aka She-Vo, was kind enough to great me at the airport and help with props & costumes at the show. Thanks, Kristin! (btw: Kristin has some of the best home-made Devo gear I've ever seen, which she proudly wore during my visit to Oakland).
It was also great to meet up with other friends from the area, fellow DEVOtional veteran,
Jane Stucky, as well as devotee artist KRK Ryden and Peter Conheim of Negativland. See a photo of Peter holding his souvenir from the show.
The Paramount Theatre is an fantastic, beautiful old venue, and proved to be much more laid back compared to most. No hassles at the door, and no pushy bouncers. Fans were allowed to rush the stage from their assigned seats, which added a lot to the crowd's reaction and participation in the show. There was some confusion over whether to allow photos & video of the show, but all in all it was a great show for everyone involved.
Bow Wow Wow opened the show, which was a treat for me. I'd seen Bow Wow Wow live back in the mid 1990's, and then again last year in Long Beach, CA. Both shows were fantastic, and the latter featured Adrian Young of No Doubt on drums. I was glad to see Adrian back on the drums for the show in Oakland. He just seems like the natural choice for Bow Wow Wow, and really looks like he enjoys performing with them. Annabella was adorable, as usual, and put on a great show. She even asked to try on an Energy Dome backstage before the show (see photo on next page).
DEVO's set was high-energy, and Josh Freese's broken finger had healed enough to enable him the full use of both his arms & hands. The crowd was moved to leave their assigned seats, gathering near the front of the stage. Reports from the orchestra pit say that the floor was bouncing wildly during the who set from the bouncing of happy spuds up front.
So many fans showed up in DEVO gear - some vintage, and some home-made. Nick Baggarly generously donated his vintage 1981 tour jersey to the Devo-Obsesso archives. Thanks, Spud! I'd never even seen that design before, and it's a great addition to the DEVO pile.
