DEVO: Tiny Desk Concert
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Robin Hilton | August 9, 2024
Shortly before beginning the band’s set, Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh learned we have a closet full of stage props and costumes, everything from lab coats and wigs to a rubber chicken and fake blood. After quickly rummaging through the boxes and racks of clothes, he returned with a stack of hats that he eventually - and repeatedly - swapped out during a sometimes breathless performance.
The band’s set included songs members say they hadn’t performed in more than 40 years, opening with “It Takes a Worried Man,” a track Devo had originally recorded for the little-known 1982 comedy film Human Highway. The group also performed a skittering version of 1979’s “Blockhead,” and “Come Back Jonee” from the band’s 1978 debut album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Now 74, Mothersbaugh hasn’t slowed down or lost the playfully subversive style that’s defined his time with Devo, at one point working his way into the audience with a megaphone to ask people just inches away what they’re doing with their hands (for the song “Praying Hands”).
Devo’s set comes after releasing a career-spanning box set, 50 Years of De-Evolution (1973-2023), late last year.
SET LIST
“It Takes a Worried Man”
“Blockhead”
“Praying Hands”
“Come Back Jonee”
MUSICIANS
Gerald Casale: bass, vocals
Jeff Friedl: percussion
Josh Hager: guitar, vocals
Mark Mothersbaugh: keys, vocals
Bob Mothersbaugh: guitar, vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Robin Hilton
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Christina Shaman
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Elle Mannion
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#tinydesk #nprmusic #devo
They haven’t played Worried Man in 45 years! This is amazing for that alone.
My fav DEVO song!
"it really does take a worried man to sing that worried song.... I may be worried now but I won't be worried long"
@@bshef3424annnnnd that’s the song.
Got to see them play it during their soundcheck in Nashville hehehehe
They still play it but not at shows
Love this song!
00:01: It Takes A Worried Man
04:15: Blockhead
07:58: Praying Hands
12:06: Come Back Jonee
I signed in just so I could upvote this. Thank you
@@gabrielsroka And I signed in to upvote your upvote.
No good songs ?😢
God's work sir, God's work. (I'm not religious, just an expression. *For Internet purposes)
@@indiatasticlevel 1 troll. Up your game.
If it's 2024 and you're playing in Devo, you're winning.
Agree
RRRRrright
Especially because the messages are still relevant and good music is timeless
Tiger blood baby
Now , more than ever!
Mark Mothersbaugh fed me "monkey chow" from the edge of the stage after a show in 1978 in Arizona.
We (a small group of insistent spuds) didn't want to leave after the show and wouldn't stop calling out for DEVO long after all the lights were on.
He came out on stage with a bunch of food from the catering, and threw bits into our open mouths.
I've never been a more satiated spud than at that moment. 😂
Great story! 😂
That's an amazing moment. I was just telling my friend that I still can't believe we saw DEVO and I'm floored by that. I can't imagine being fed by Mark like a little baby chick.
why is that when rock stars feed people pet food its an "Memorable Moment"..... But when I do it I have to "Let them out of my basement"......life is so unfair
Well fed spud
@@FreakPower4Ever You my friend are really the definition of a DEVO fan. HAHAHAHA!
18 year old me,
listening to “Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!”,
would never have dreamed that 64 year old me would still be listening to Devo but this time,
with Devo performing in a Library…love it!
Same here friend! Got to thank a good girlfriend for the tip way back when. I am Devo😊
Library? You mean a radio station?
Sounds like you have an uncontrollable urge to live in a beautiful world.
A 63 year old me listening to this today . . . a 20 something year old me at an early 80's show was handed a funny cigarette from a cute blonde sitting to my left . . . she had her ENERGY DOME on too ! . . . AHHH - - the DEVOLICIOUS memories :) : )
Yeah 13 and 59. That Saturday night in October 1978 remains emblazoned.
In 1978 I was 12 years old. DEVO didn't change my life, they changed who & what I was on a molecular level.
Absoluetly!
I saw them when I was 12 years old too! 7th grade, Warfield Theater in San Francisco, the Oh No, it’s Devo Tour! Spud Rings, Energy Domes, Radiation Suits, and the New Traditionalists hair do’s 😍
I love how loose and jazzy they play these classic songs!
@@marshall0814 Understandably. 👍
Ya.. that was about the year I first heard em... bout 1am, kfjc played Mongoloid. Mind blown, musical future saved...
Tiny Desk is on a roll with all these legends 🤘🏼.
Absolutely. We need the music that makes us remember the days of old in the midst of society's woes today.
"Worried Man"! It's like it was written for 2024.
So is " Wonderful World"
I play this song with an 'old-time' ensemble doing it in a traditional blue-grass sort of way. I'd totally forgotten about this DEVO version! :-)
@@RyanMichero and Blockhead and Praying Hands. haha
@@RyanMichero 😽
People need to realize DEVO is so much more than "Whip It".
@@markpfeifer1402 So much more 🙌🏽❤️
First phase of their career is much more interesting than whip stuff, they really de evolute, (personal opinion, feel free to hate me).
Whip It isn’t even one of their top 20 best songs 🤷🏻♂️
Are We Not Men? We Are DEVO!
It's a wiggly world...
My old high school boyfriend discovered Devo before anyone else in the 80’s. He was always on top of new important music. We were engaged for a short time but remained friends over the decades. He recently died of a heart attack. Seeing Devo feels like Mike is still here. He would love this. Thanks for having classics on Tiny Desk like Devo, Nelly Furtado and Chaka Kahn. Soooo good.
Your friend must have been a cool dude. Cheers from Texas.
Before anyone else? In the '80"s? Was rockin' to these guys in the late '70"s.
I have a friend who has passed who also introduced me to Devo. Many night time car adventures in high school to Devo album. 1980-82
Just when the world needs them the most...
Facts. Takes you back to when the world seemed to make sense.
@@sallysson they're basically successors of the likes of Hugo Ball and Tristan Tzara back in WWI, meeting the violence of the world with a parody of its senselessness. Devo put their own spin on Dada but the fundamental impulse behind it has a long legacy. Devo exists as a response to the mindless State violence of the Kent State shootings, because the world has never made sense.
Every man woman and mutant!
“It Takes a Worried Man” “Blockhead” “Praying Hands” It is not at all a coincidence that they have chosen these songs that they do not usually do in the last concerts.
@@sallysson If the world seemed to make sense are you sure you really got the Devo experience?
I've had the pleasure of working with Mark Mothersbaugh. Incredibly cool guy.
He did sound track to movie my son watched million times when he was a young child .
Wrote theme song for kids cartoon "Rugrats"
@@docholiday7072also PeeWee’s playhouse
I absolutely love that they played the deep cuts
these were originally the hits!
Forever asking people what they are doing with their hands.
Diddling, mostly.
Certainly deep but not the deepest... 😅
@@bonniefinleyanimation I mean worried man hasn't been played live for 40+ years and it wasn't on an album so I'd say that's a fairly deep cut.
No click track
No ear monitors
No backing tracks.
100% Live DEVO.
And they CRUSH IT
The same way it would've been played at house parties. Back to basics. So good
No autotune...
Nobody:
These ↑ guys: ‘Waaaaaaaa I don't like how some other people express themselves!’
You realize they're using (shock! horror!) synthesizers and audio compression? You realize that there are _dozens_ of newer artists who use Mellodyne and Autotune on their records, who have appeared on the Tiny Desk Concerts without it?
The cloud can't hear you, old man!
@creamwobbly the cloud hears all! it is omnipresent and will soon be omniscient!
Don't forget through real amplifiers.
That's got to be one of the greatest Tiny Desk Concerts...Devo absolutely crushing it...
I agree 100%. It should be released as EP.
Rest in peace Bob 2 and Alan
The rest of them need to retire already. Go play golf or something.
@@suspiciouswatermelon7639 why? they love to play music...
@@suspiciouswatermelon7639 as long as they use Chi Chi Rodriguez golf balls!
Chi Chi just died@@hairmonster12
Alan Myers very well missed. What an incredible drummer he was. A true inspiration to my own drumming
Earthlings are so lucky to have DEVO as a local band.
Planet Earth? It’s a place to live your life.
@@travisd05 I think I'll stay.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seriously need to get DEVO in
elites like devo dont need that narnsense
SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
huh? Dey not?
No....that would actually give the R&R Hall of Fame some legitimacy.
Nooooo!!!! DEVO does not need them!!!!
DEVO ROCKS!!!
Man, that Blockhead performance was completely 100% on point
Mocking the audience is pure punk rock
These guys rock harder than 95 percent of the new bands out there today….
And they’ve been doing it for over 50 years, let that sink in. Masters.
With each passing day, DEVO proves how far ahead they were/are...Agree with @colin-nekritz. Masters
Man, the 80's were such a magnificent time in the history of pop music: there were so many bands that were IMPOSSIBLE TO IMITATE, and Devo was right at the top of the list (along with The Police, the B-52's, the Talking Heads and many more). Brings tears to my eyes to see Mark Mothersbaugh singing again! TRUE ORIGINALITY!!!
You are so exactly correct!... and so cool to see them now that stripped down and personal! It was true back then, and is more true today.
DEVO is past, present and future, thanks for being, boys!!!!(Spuds)
And fun!
police, b-52, talking heads are more in late seventies - early early 80's. by the time florescent ski pants came most were not.. stop making sense was 84. police broke up in 84. b- 52 love shack 1989. after a long hiatus and the death of Ricky.
I suppose most of their success may have come in the '80s, however I believe all the bands you mentioned are '70s band.
Shout out to Romeo Void here
An extraordinary band. And live these Spuds could Rock. The prognostication of Devolution was dead on. We’re all Devo now !
Mark Mothersbaugh ... Mark Mothersbaugh.... Mark Mothersbaugh ... Mark Mothersbaugh.... the guy is really in the top 10 of UNDERRATED national treasures.
@@randyzeitman1354 Sims 2 soundtrack rocks! He did all of it, and expansion pack music too. Did not make the Devo connection right away but I loved Devo as a kid. Discovered them in the 1985 film, Fright Night!
MARRRKKRKRKTKKKKM!!!
Thanks npr and Devo for making me feel old, surely 1984 was 20 years ago
Isn't it. I remember my first pair of leather sneakers. LOL
1984 will always be 16 years ago, just how a 2000 car is brand new. My brain stopped calculating dates properly since the Y2K scare.
I never stopped listening to them and have seen them in concert a few times over the years. So not a big deal. 😂
As someone who was born in 1984 I can assure you that it’s the 20th anniversary of 1984 being 20 years ago
It’s weird how the mid 80s still seems like it was 20 years ago 😢
They're just amazing... in 2006 Devo announced a concert in Chile, but then it was suspended... my heart was broken. Then in 2014 they came again to a festival & a side show alone... all the energy and good vibes on stage was just amazing... ❤❤❤❤
Con bandera de Chile incluida. No es de Texas😂
I was literally searching Devo...and this was out for 45 minutes...fresh🎉
Meant to be🎉
me too!! so serendipitous
Get these spuds while they're fresh!
So fresh!
😂
It's "what we do."
Haven’t even pressed play yet and already hit the like button. Devo was so ahead of their time. Can’t wait to hear this.
Thank you for diving deep for the gems not just for us diehard fans but for those casual fans who need to hear the deep cuts to then truly understand what us Devotees have known all along.
The "Tiny Desk Concert" I've needed. DEVO has been in my music rotation for at least 35 years.
An upside down Steinberger bass is the icing on the cake
I was born in 1960... DEVO changed my musical taste, and my life~!
Yes and yes. 1978 was pivotal for me as well. Although Eno was already on my radar from Fripp and Roxy Music the release kinda blew it all wide open for me. And what a glorious rabbit hole it was.
@@joeyoungs8426... Roxy Music and King Crimson where my early influences as well !
@@joeyoungs8426 Absolutely! You are talking the music of my youth!
Devo….. way ahead of there time, brilliant. RIP Alan Meyers. One of my favorite drummers
Myers
and RIP Bob C
He played on a Ronnie woods album
Oh, that Alan!
Dude was a machine on the drums
We are not men, we are Devo. I'm forever a Blockhead. If this band is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame let's put them in while we're all still alive! 😄
F the HOF
They did have an early sketchbook/lyric notebook when I went in the early aughts in an Ohio musicians display.
DEVO played a free concert in Sproul Plaza on UC Berkeley campus back in 1988!! I happened by there that afternoon and was blown away and hooked for life. And I’m scrolling by and happened once again to stumble on this today to see that the legends live on!! Thank you Tiny Desk and NPR!
I was there! I went to Cal 1986-1990. Seeing Devo for free at Sproul Plaza was so epic. I’ve been a Devo-tee since seeing them for the first time at the Warfield Theater in 1980 when I was only 12years old and in the 7th grade! 🙏
Hey, I saw Talking Heads in Sproul Plaza back around '79 while wandering around between classes. As a lifelong fan of the different, I was immediately hooked.
@@andyhampsten4252 That's some top talent that Berkeley booked for the campus, Talking Heads and Devo. One campus that I worked at had Southern Culture on the Skids perform; they're an excellent but rather niche group, not superstars. My undergrad and grad schools booked the likes of Chuck Berry and the Ramones -- but those were not free concerts, we had to buy a ticket. Whereas I stumbled across Southern Culture on the Skids simply by walking between buildings.
My buddy brought the Duty Now and Are We Not albums over my house on Halloween 1979. Brilliant!! And a nod to Chi Chi Rodriguez who passed today.
Saw Devo for the first time last year. I was a casual fan but I was totally stunned - they're among the best live acts I've ever seen. Now I am a huge fan! It was initially billed as a farewell tour, but they revoked that just as it began - I hope to see them back in the UK at some point. Outstanding performance here too!
Seen them so many times growing up in the US, everything you said was true. You don't want the concert to end.
I seen them in London last year.. they were off the chain ...sold out gig
Same as you!! I was just a casual fan until I bought tickets and started deep diving them!! Now I'm a total Spud!
I had seen them a few times before and hesitated to buy tix because I wondered if they could still put on a great show in their 70s and with original members now sadly passed. I needn't have worried--they were as great as ever.
So good live: musianship and stage performance. They completely take control of the venue. Lucky to have seen them multiple times.
Now more than ever we need DEVO
found them on SNL in 1978 it's 2024 and I still love them and their message.
So funny, Mothersbaugh doesn't remeber exacly when they appeared on SNL, but we do!
This was not on my bingo card, as they say. What a surprise and an absolute delight. DEVO, the true boy band.🥰♥Missed you!!
The true Booji Boy band!
Devolution goes on and on and on...
Old patterns never die, they just go on and on…
All lefty rhythm section!!!!!
Left hand 🫲 pivots now
I never noticed before, but Jihad Jerry looks like that Beatles bass player guy.
You must be a lefty.
Honest question, how do you tell that a drummer is left handed?
@@stephenparis9595 High hat and bass pedals.
Saw them on SNL when I was 13... they were wearing yellow hazmat like suits -- have always just been amazed at the creativity and longevity of the band-- Beautiful world is my favorite of theirs ... this was a total blast, he's 74 and has the energy of his youth! amazing!
Their critique of our society was also spot-on, then and now
@@dbadagnawhat was essentially their message/critique of society?
That is when I found Devo as well, a Saturday night live performance. I was babysitting and when the parents came home, they said, "What is THAT?" I did not know but I was determined to find out. The rest is history.
@@dbadagnanailed it 🎯
@@beholden1663if you listen to their songs you can hear it. I’ll give you an easy one- start with Beautiful World.
although praying hands and come back jonee are rather obscure songs by DEVO, they're two of my favorite. i was ecstatic when i saw them play them in this video :)
I love Blockhead so much. It was a treat to see it here. [0_o]
❤❤❤❤
DEVO = LOVE
50 years later with two of the five original members passed away and Mark's eye and vocal chords irreparably damaged by COVID, the group remains true to its mission: suburban robots monitoring reality!
@@gangoffour6690 Put on your foil hat and get lost! Injections saved so many more lives and reduced viral symptoms than any harmful effects. (retired ICU Nurse)
His voice sounds much better than most rock/pop singers his age.
His voice sounds great!!!
@@gangoffour6690thank you for your “Rogan-ing”. Now we have an immunology expert when we need one. Can you tell us why my left knee hurts today? It must be my JABBBBB.
@@gangoffour6690 You sound just like the woman who is convinced that Sodium Bicarb cured her friend's cancer. Even though, with just a little bit of pathophysiology knowledge, one would know an increase in bicarb in the bloodstream is rebalanced in the acid/base system via kidneys/lungs
I’m shocked they didn’t do Whip It and so glad they pulled out these gems instead!! Pleasantly surprised! I’m a diehard Devotee so this was really special. 🙏🏻❤
True fans don't just want the big hits, they want the deep cuts.
Fantástico!!!
Curto DEVO desde 78.
Passei para meu filho, hoje com 22 anos, que adora.
E até hoje, eu, aos 59 anos, faço questão de divulgar para a garotada de hoje.
Um grande abraço!!!
*ARE WE NOT MAN???*
*WE ARE DEVO!!!*
*FOR EVER!!!*
We are Devo not old men
They aren't getting old. They're de-evolving.
Q: Are We Old Men?
A: We Are DEVO
As a 20 something, no we’re definitely not
Duty now for the future, spuds.
PRAYING HANDS!!!!!!! My favorite DEVO song!!!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
I love how perverse their lyrics are, under the surface 😂
I've loved this band for ages! Everyone used to look at me weird for listening to the "one-hit wonder Whip It" band. If only they knew what they were missing! Seeing them finally performing a Tiny Desk Concert was a pleasant surprise this morning!
This was AWESOME!!!!!!! It's great to see that these guys haven't mellowed at all over the years! DEVO always brings it! Thank you to Tiny Desk for having them on ❤👍
DEVO? Tiny Desk? Together? YES! I'm so happy!
Woah, was not expecting to hear 'it takes a worried man'. I think the last time theyd played that one live was a new year's concert back in '79
Avery Fisher Hall, NYC?
Dear Google please detect when music is playing so you don't interrupt SONGS with ADS.
M favourite Devo songs have Jerry on bass, not synth. Nice to see him back to the future.
Still as fresh and relevant as it was almost 50 years ago... RIP Chi Chi Rodriguez!
the sound is amazing! needed this thank you!
Wow. First day in the office and you work with DEVO. Congrats again, Josh!
Anyone else feel like Mark Mothersbaugh and David Byrne have very similar voices? I always thought it was just because Devo and Talking Heads had a similar kooky new wave style, but this performance really confirmed it for me. Both amazing bands, glad to see we are still Devolving !!
Both groups got help from Brian Eno early on in their career.
Oh here's an idea - Adrian Belew with DEVO!
Definitely similar voices, in terms of tone as well as cadence… also similar musical sensibility!
How good would it be if they recorded a collaboration! If only.
Devo is in front
I was thinking that, too. I love both bands with my entire heart. Visionaries!
I was front and center for a DEVO concert in Houston. The crowd was so disorderly that, after a couple of warnings to calm down, they walked out. DEVO was right for doing that. I appreciate this talented group.
Was this at the old Colosium downtown?? I saw DEVO a few times in Houston.
@@digidrum2003 No, it was out by the galleria shopping area.
Blockhead is one of my faves of theirs--this is GREAT!!!
Devo is not or will ever be a one hit wonder. They are brilliant & one of the greatest bands out there.
It’s been cool to see younger generations discover their music. Even though some may say it sounds 80s, actually it’s timeless, it’s so unique and specific that it will always hover just outside of time in its own DEVO universe.
THEY NEEDED THESE SONGS ON THE TOURRRRRR OMG
Really great song choices. Wasn't expecting Blockhead, one of my faves of theirs! Also, Bob 1's guitar tone is one of my favourites in all of music. Just fantastic!
Great video for a Friday..
Many thanks Tiny Desk!!!
For those who don’t know, the frontman, Mark Mothersbaugh, is also a music composer who has probably scored the soundtrack for some of your favorite cartoons, Wes Anderson films, and video games.
They are so tight!
I feel so lucky. I saw them do their soundcheck a couple months ago in Nashville and they played worried man. It's my one huge devo flex, that I saw devo perform worried man in 2024❤❤❤love these guys, and I miss mark very much
What an incredible thing to happen on a friday afternoon
Thank you Tiny Desk for bringing on DEVO! Jeff Friedl does a great job playing those awesome drum parts by Alan Myers.
THIS IS FKIN AWESOME
DEVO FOR LIFE!!! They emit/are the definition of BEAUTY and existence, in general XO
Glorious Devo, you have been delighting me for more than 4 decades. Thank you for the smiles. I am Devoted. ❤❤❤🫡🙌🙌🙌
So fun to see them doing the songs I fell in love with in the late 70’s. I was 21 and they were the soundtrack of my life like many here. Saw every tour they did from their debut to Shout, and a few times after that into the teens. They may not be doing nonstop jumping jacks these days, but still got it. RIP Alan and Bob2.
Can we all appreciate Bob 1s playing over this madness. Devo is the best man.
OMG what a joyous Friday Night Find !!! DEVO -killed- it in the early 1980s - and to see them now - jeepers they STILL GOT IT - amazing show - thank you NPR and D-E-V-O!
CUBE TOP! SQUARED OFF!
8 CORNERS!! 90° ANGLES!
FLAT TOP!! STARE STRAIGHT AHEAD!
SNAKE EYES!! BLOCKHEAD!!!
The crazy thing is, I got back into DEVO because of Yo Gabba Gabba, watching it with my niece and nephews. It's awesome to see them on here!
they went deep, love it thanks NPR and Tiny Desk
Got bullied in school for listening to them in 1978, worth every punch to gut.
May I offer a small measure of comfort? In the intervening 46 years some of those people have died, yet here you are very much alive and still listening to Devo! Life’s good like that.
omg they play the best deep cuts
In 1984 as a UCLA student I interned for “The Cutting Edge,” MTV’s once-monthly alternative music show from IRS Records that featured artists like The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Chris Isaac, and DEVO. I had the pleasure of running lights and coffee the day DEVO was interviewed and filmed. Polite guys with midwestern manners.
Devo!!! ❤ Legends and this was not long enough! Classic and these guys mean so much too me.
Gerry's bass sounds incredible. The whole band sounds great!
Huh. All these years and I only just really noticed how good his voice is.
I love these crazy guys!! I love DEVO! Forever young! Greetings from Uruguay. 👅🎸🎸
Just pure genius...Devo are incredible
mark and gerry have still got it
And Bob
@@JohnKerr60 Exactly. Bob’s guitar and vocals are crucial to the sound.
Devoooooo! Come on! That's so good rock and roll! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I bought the single then the first album, who would have thought nearly 50 years later I'm watching devo again
Go...Devo..💯❤️💪😁😎
Great set! Devo, defying the obvious and inviting everyone to think.
npr knows what they're doing
Yesss! ❤
Awesome! Ive never been a big DEVO fan but at the end there i was also singing Johnny Johnny ❤🎉
DEVO FOREVER!!!
Leading with Worried Man, *so* DEVO. I love Human Highway. Thanks for this glorious tidbit, NPR!
Not everyone can be a Devo fan. We the select group love the classic punk / techno punk.
As Mark said, “ Takes courage to be a Devo fan these days!”