DEVO

Mutate Don’t Stagnate

In 1973, out of the remnants of late ’60s political activism and the rising post-punk music climate, the seminal band DEVO was born. The formative lineup consisted of two sets of brothers—Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, and Gerald and Bob Casale—along with drummer Alan Myers, all hailing from Akron, Ohio

The band’s prophetic message of “Devolution” and their strikingly original fusion of electronics and punk made them a singular influence throughout the ’80s and into the ’90s. DEVO began when Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale met as students at Kent State University and began exchanging ideas about art and music. 

Deeply influenced by the Vietnam War, campus protests, and the tragic Kent State shootings of May 1970, the duo started making films and writing songs that would evolve into a wholly unique performance style. Their art-meets-music ethos quickly propelled them into the spotlight as one of the most high-profile acts in the New Wave movement, earning them a fervent cult following that included David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Neil Young.

In 1978, after an impromptu endorsement at Max’s Kansas City where David Bowie declared them “the band of the future,” DEVO was whisked off to Germany. There, Brian Eno—along with Bowie’s collaboration—produced their debut album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!. The record caught the attention of both critics and the industry, helping the band build a devoted following. It wasn’t until their third album, Freedom of Choice—produced by Bob Margouleff and featuring the double-platinum single Whip It—that DEVO became a worldwide phenomenon.