Disco de Devo: “Live in the Land of the Rising Sun”

The Good

Live in Japan 2003

DEVO kick off their show in front of thousands of screaming Japanese fans with a montage of all their videos. The narrator tells us exactly what DEVO is all about. The band arrives on stage complete with bio-suits and `energy helmets' in tow. They kick things off with the electronic beats and monotone vocals of "That's Good". The crowd eagerly bounces to the beat of "Girl U Want". You know, I've always thought of DEVO as the "Whip It" guys, but I've realized that I know more of their songs than I thought. Speaking of "Whip It", the band gives away `energy helmets' as this favorite kicks in at only song three. The live version just might trump the studio version. DEVO cover the Rolling Stone's "Satisfaction" in their own unique way.

It's evident that time has caught up with the gang, as they appear a little `healthier' than I remember them. That doesn't stop them from nailing some cheesy choreography during "Uncontrollable Urge". Mark Mothersbaugh takes a cheerleading role, complete with pom-poms, as the rest of the band covers "Mongoloid". Can you even use that word today? "Jock Homo" might just be the DEVO anthem as they chant `We are DEVO'. The band strips out of their suits and done their classic black t-shirts, short shorts, and knee pads to close out the performance.

Extras

" DEVO goes to Japan" features various interviews with the band, most of the time they're with Mark and Gerald. Smaller clips could be seen intertwined with the live performance. Mark and Gerald talk about how the U.S. has de-evolved, despite their jokes twenty years ago that it would among other topics. Gerald's story of a night he spent with a Japanese groupie back in the eighties is priceless. There's an interview segment with DEVO's drummer entitled "David Kendrick" speaks. He discusses how he hooked up with the band, and what he did prior. They really could have edited this better, because David comes off a little awkward. There's also a rare 1980 live performance clip that features the group performing a song called "Good Feeling" I believe.

The Bad

I expected a DEVO live performance to be more visual.

The Verdict

Simply put, DEVO create art for art's sake. Even twenty five years later, they still manage to capture a crowd with their entertaining live performance. It's amazing that songs they wrote twenty some odd years ago, are still relevant today.

I was at this Devo show outside Tokyo. They were great, and the video captures the essence of the show. They are slowing down a little, but the music is still fantastic. Worth buying and watching.

...and I ONLY say this because I'm in total agreement with a few other reviewers who remark how the song selection is way too similar to the Lollapalooza '96 DVD. Someone in another Devo review referred to NEW TRADITIONALISTS as a "sellout" album; well, he's entitled to his opinion, but that remains my favorite Devo album (so sue me)...man, I would have loved to hear live renditions of "Through Being Cool" and "Beautiful World." I can't help wondering how the Mothersbaugh/Casale clan feel about that record today...do they dislike it as well?

No matter, really. This is a fantastic concert recording and, as you've already heard, a must for Devo fans around the world. Just watched it last night for the first time (thank you, Netflix) and found myself feeling the old energy I used to get from their heyday. Hated to see the DVD end. Loved seeing the Tokyo kids getting such a rush from seeing their spudboy heroes live in concert. And again, as one other reviewer mentioned, the interview segments between songs are great; Gerald and Mark still have their senses of humor intact, as well as their keen observations of how the world is even more F'd up now than it was 28 years ago (3 cheers for Gerald's referring to the retarded cowboy in the White House!). Oh, one other thing: I've been wanting to get a Pug puppy for a long time. Seeing Gerald and Mark with their Pug companions at their side has only reinforced my determination.

They may be a little grayer, a little more long in tooth, but they've still got it...and God love 'em, it's obvious that they were having a blast doing this show. I've been a fan since first seeing them on Saturday Night Live back in 1978 and have never had the good fortune to see them live. In one of the interview segments, Gerry and Mark both stated that the 2004 Tokyo concert was a "rarity" and implied that it might not happen again. I hope that's not the case...I'll drag out my somewhat faded and now-tighter-fitting black Devo T-shirt with white lettering and go see them anytime. "Hey SPUDS!...Do you want MORE???" You'd better believe we do, Gerry.

Of all the DVD concerts that I have watched, this one by DEVO has the worst sound quality I've heard to date.

If you're a hard core DEVO fan then perhaps you may wish to purchase this DVD for the interviews. If you're a music lover looking to add something from DEVO to your DVD collection go with the DVD concert from the Lollapalooza tour (DEVO Live). The two concerts are very similar but the Lollapalooza concert has better sound quality.

I recommend seeing clips of this online at the usual places before buying this. I may be prejudiced by having seen them live in their hey day in 1980 in Central Park, but I was a little embaressed to have loved DEVO for as long as I have and seeing this footage. Mark looks really freaky, I think he had some mental issues or something around this time, the music they were putting out got a lot more mundane and he was moving towards theme music, he just looks scary like in urban cannibal scary.

Also, these guys exploded in weight so I mean it's like worse than seeing the Stones in their 60's. There is no video interaction in this concert like the ones I had seen them do before, I guess that was played out by this time but thats what made DEVO so cool I thought, the funny videos. I'm still a big DEVO fan of their recorded songs but the more I see of them live the less I want to see. As far as the contradictions go, these guys base all their stuff on making fun of retro 50's stuff like that was the worse period to live and Reagan (now Bush) bashing, but I think it's all for the mighty dollar sign. Mark is making his big money at his studio in LA (check out the bonus disc of The Life Aquatic to see it and him now), he's selling painted postcards for gawd aweful amounts online, I mean for someone who bashes the right and its messages he does'nt mind to make his bucks in it any way he can.