Ornoth

When I heard that a tour featuring Devo and the B-52s was going to visit Austin, I knew it was a must-see. Both bands’ songs can be hit-or-miss, but their best ones are exceptional. From the moment I saw them play on the Merv Griffin show on October 16, 1980, Devo – for whatever reason – were a formative part of my adolescence. But opportunities to see them have been extremely rare; I had to wait 28 years before I finally managed to catch them headlining a Boston show in 2008… And I’ve waited nearly two more decades for my next opportunity!

B-52s Love Shack

Devo Jocko Homo

Devo Going Under

The timing wasn’t great, tho. The Austin show was on Saturday November 1, the night before the Livestrong Challenge: a 100-mile bike ride I was signed up for. I started the day of the show by laying out all my ride gear, then made my way to a photoshoot at Livestrong headquarters with my Team Kermit friends. Then an early dinner of takeout Thai food, which was accompanied by ominous thunder.

With threatening weather surrounding Austin, I took hope from a rainbow I saw on the drive to the Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 racetrack where the open-air show was being held. I got there really early to score good parking, but was “asked” to stay in the car due to lightning in the area.

I promptly ignored that “request” and walked the kilometer to queue up at the main entry gate, along with the most disappointing selection of humanity I’ve seen in a long time. It was 6pm: about an hour before the gates opened, and two hours before showtime.

By 7pm there were obvious lightning bolts and thunder, and the skies opened up for about 20 minutes, absolutely soaking everyone. Security told people to take cover in their cars or a distant parking garage, but I obstinately hovered nearby and waited.

After having stood around idly for two hours as the storm abated, we finally were let into the venue at 8pm – the original show time – and were told the performers would go on at 9pm. I grabbed some paper napkins from a vendor to dry off my soaking wet seat and waited: chilly, damp, and shivering.

They dispensed with the opening act – Lene Lovitch – and the B-52s came on at 9pm, which would have been their normal time slot. I like the band, and am especially fond of lead man Fred Schneider’s distinctive vocals and quirky lyrics. Their set included the upbeat “Cosmic Thing”, plus several of their less distinctive, melodic songs that I tend to ignore, and I was disappointed that they passed over the edgier “Channel Z”. And it would have been nice to include something from Fred’s solo career, like “Monster” or even “Coconut”. Overall, they put on a passable show. I’m glad I got to see them once.

I’ll mention here that a couple, seated two rows in front of me, decided to stand through the entire set, which meant I had to do so as well, if I wanted to see anything. So between the wait outside the venue and the concert, I stood in place for an agonizing 4½ hours… on the evening before a 100-mile bike ride!

After the stage was rearranged, Devo came on and also played for an hour. I had low expectations, since they’re known for never changing their setlist or show, but they’d updated some of their visuals and delivered the songs with more energy than you’d expect if you thought of them as a one-hit wonder from four and a half decades ago. They played personal favorite “Going Under”, but not the newer “Mind Games”, and they did not perform “Beautiful World” or their cover of “Satisfaction”. Despite my concerns, they delivered a fast-paced, very satisfying show.

After the bad weather and delays, I was delighted that both headliners were able to take the stage and perform their full sets without having to truncate the show. Scratching the opener was the ideal response to the weather situation.

The Germania Amphitheater at the Circuit of the Americas has a reputation as a horrible place to see a show, mostly because of the long walk between parking and the entry gate, how far it is out of town, and how much of a cluster it is to get into and out of. I found it tolerable, and I somehow managed to get out pretty easily after the show.

Getting home and ready for bed around 1am left me just four hours to sleep before my pre-ride wakeup alarm. And even the bonus hour of sleep I’d get from the autumnal time change that night meant that Sunday was gonna be a grim day in the saddle. But that’s a story for another blogpo…

I used to spend my free time hanging out in the Boston club scene, seeing live music nearly every day. In those years, I saw a lot of noteworthy shows, some of which are cherished memories.

But those days peaked about sixteen years ago. I really don’t go clubbing anymore, and don’t really listen to much music at all. But I keep my eyes peeled, and once in a while I see a show that’s too compelling to pass up.

The last time that happened was three years ago, when Devo came out of retirement to record their first album in 20 years. Being a huge fanboi, there was no way I was going to miss their first live show in New England in more than two decades. And it was, as they say, an electric performance.

Recently, a remarkably similar series of events took place. Another of my absolute favorite bands from the 80s—The Cars—got back together after a twenty-year hiatus and put out a new album and a handful of concert dates to support it. I made damn sure I was there when they took the stage at the House of Blues last week.

It was my first time in the new House of Blues on Lansdowne Street, which consolidated the space formerly occupied Avalon and Axis. Not bad, but not as intimate as those smaller clubs, and absolutely nothing like the old, original HoB location in Harvard Square. I took up a position above the stage, near the mezzanine rail (echoes of Paradise), and settled in for the show.

It was gratifying that despite their advancing years, the band played pretty tight. Ric’s voice is still a perfect match for Greg Hawkes’ awesome synth work, and Eliot executed his guitar solos with energy and precision. They put on a really good show.

The setlist featured a handful of okay new songs, several of the obligatory classics, and a generous number of their slightly more obscure songs. I was especially gratified that “Moving in Stereo” was the first song played for their encore.

The Cars are a Boston band, and they appeared to remember it fondly, making reference to the Rat, and telling the crowd it was “nice to be home”. Seeing them on Lansdowne Street, the row of clubs behind Fenway Park’s “Green Monster”, then walking home and stopping to get some ice cream at JP Licks on trendy Newbury Street… it was a quintessentially “Boston” evening.

Although I haven’t picked it up yet, I will probably acquire the new album sometime in the near future. Looking forward to that, too, although like the new Devo album, it’ll probably be a mixed bag, with some hits and some real misses.

But all in all, a new Cars album makes me happy, and finally having an opportunity to see them play live was ridiculously cool. Although I did get to meet Greg Hawkes and see him perform a couple Cars tunes at the tribute show at TT’s a few years ago, as described here. That was ridiculously cool, too.

Rock on!

I remember the first time I learned of DEVO’s existence. It was 1981. After he got home from work, my father used to watch the Merv Griffin Show before supper. One day, his musical guest was a band called DEVO. I wish I could find it on the net somewhere.

They came on in their energy domes and played “Whip It”, plus one or both of “Beautiful World” and/or “Freedom of Choice”. I was seventeen and pretty full of rebellion; it struck a chord, if you will. I went out and bought a cassette of “Freedom of Choice”, then “New Traditionalists” when it came out. I became a DEVOtee.

That was twenty-seven years ago now. DEVO flamed out a year or two later, producing a couple fitful final LPs for Enigma at the end of the 80s. They never were quite dead, but they weren’t a band, either, never touring or producing new material. It was hard to be a DEVO fan in those days.

There were rumors of live shows every decade or so. Maybe Central Park, or more often on the west coast. I never got to one. And, frankly, I had little hope of ever seeing them play. I’d gotten used to the feeling. If you ever want an example of the Buddhist concept of impermanance, just try following your favorite rock bands for a decade or two, and watch as they each either explode or wither and die. Where are they now?

To cut the reminiscences short, DEVO played here in Boston about a month ago. It was—no exaggeration—their first visit to New England in more than twenty years.

When I first heard about the show, I was torn. That was in the middle of Inna’s upcoming visit, and I knew she wouldn’t be into it. But I checked with her, and that wound up being the same night one of her friends was in town, and a good time for them to have a girls’ night out at some shi shi fru fru Fronch (sic) restaurant.

So I got the green light and went to book tickets. No way. Ticketbastard wouldn’t sell tickets in groups of less than two. What?!? And what’s more, they were selling for a minimum of $80 each. There was no way I could justify $160 for a concert, even for DEVO.

Then, just after Inna’s heart-wrenching visit, since she’d left town early, the day of the show came, and I was morose. So I checked once more. Not only were they selling single tickets, but they were selling individual sixth-row tickets for $45 each. I scarfed one up and mustered the energy to do a little happy dance.

Took the MBTA’s “Silver Line” subway (really just another bus) for only the second time in my life (and the second time in three days) down to the South Boston dump where they put up the “Bank of America Pavilion”. Got inside with no problem. Got some pizza. Got a really cheap, thin tee shirt and a plastic energy dome (with instructions on how to purchase a hard hat insert so you could actually wear it) for fifty bucks. Ran into former SAPE co-worker Erik and his wife, which was amusing. Failed to run into a current co-worker’s husband Matt, which was sad. Sat through a thankfully short set by 80s no-name Tom Tom Club while two geriatric old ladies who had won their tickets from a radio station danced in the aisle next to me. God help the middle aged. Quickly!

Then watched DEVO. They rocked. Not sure what more can be said. It was a very special time, and a real treat that I never imagined I’d actually live to see. And then I rode the T home, wearing my energy dome, which was kinda special, too.

About the only disappointment was that now there’s no one I can share the moment with.