I don't know how many truly DEVOted fans there are in the Nation's capital, but I am one and I was on hand to see DEVO perform what I believe was their first show ever in Washington, DC, at the famous 9:30 Club on August 13.

The show opened at 11 p.m. with what I was told was about 400 people on hand. A few energy domes were in attendance, and one Mongoloid was wearing an actual flowerpot. The opening DVD -- featuring footage of General Boy talking about the fashion one wears to a DEVO concert -- had a couple of hiccups and, after five tries without getting past some sort of skip in the DVD, the concert started without it. Sirens, lights, and the five yellow hazmat suits went to
work.

They opened with That's Good, to the delight of the crowd -- about half of whom knew the words, and probably remember seeing DEVO perform "That's Good" at a school dance on the old TV show "Square Pegs", and the other half of whom just
liked it because it was high-energy and loud.

Moving into Girl U Want, Whip It, Satisfaction (I Can't Get No), Mongoloid, Blockhead, SmartPatrol/Mr. DNA and others... eventually closing with Come Back Jonee, DEVO proved that their music is timeless, their war on devolution
relentless, and their fan base still vibrant (if not growing)! The only shortcoming was that the show was only an hour long... I'd hoped to see them play a little longer but it was still a great show. The drummer, Josh Friese -- who is very good by the way -- played the show with only one hand, having broken his other one. You'd never have known it. He was playing with gusto, and the show didn't suffer one bit.

I should go on record as saying it was the first concert I've been to in at least 10 years. I'm not really into concerts generally, but theirs was definitely something I've been waiting for. It's nice to know that they are still on the road, and I hope I'll have a chance to see DEVO perform live again. And to see them in a club like I did? It felt like seeing John Coltrane play his sax, or Louis Armstrong his trumpet. Tell your friends, and see for yourself. It was truly amazing to see.

Are they rock and roll? Not really. They are the post-punk, pre-new wave godfathers of techno and electronica. They are the pioneers who got scalped, but not before warning us about Space Junk and Swelling Itching Brains. They are to music as Andy Warhol was to soup cans. Are they not men? They are DEVO.

Duty Now for the Future!
Doug Hecox
Washington, DC