DEVO’s last Houston appearance came back in 2006 when they made a stop at the Reliant Arena and it was great to see them in a more acoustically  suitable venue this time around.

Taking the stage in their reflective grey suits and Everybody Masks, DEVO got the crowd jumping quickly with ‘Don’t Shoot I’m a Man’ from last years release ‘Something for Everybody’. This number set the tone immediately as the boys proceeded to tear up Warehouse Live with a barrage of old and new songs with a show that truly did have something for everybody.

Next up was ‘Peek a Boo’ followed by another newer number called ‘What we Do’.
A couple of rarities, for me anyway, were also featured during the show. ‘Goin Under’ a number from the band’s 1981 release New Traditionalists and ‘Planet Earth’, from their classic ‘Freedom of Choice’ album. Both came as pleasant surprises.

What about those red energy dome hats you might ask?  How about new cool blue ones instead. That was the chapeau of choice for DEVO when making the first of many costume changes after finishing up with another new number called ‘Fresh’ and a band classic entitled ‘That’s Good’.

After stirring the crowd up with ‘Girl You Want’, Jerry Casale asked the question that everyone was waiting to hear. Are you ready to whip it? And with that, they did, by treating the crowd to their signature song ‘Whip It’.

After a short Carl Sagan video break the boys reappeared in their traditional yellow paper suits and ran through ‘Satisfaction’.

Around this time is when the show seemed to shift into a higher gear driven by some monster guitar shredding from Bob Mothersbaugh. DEVO classics, ‘Uncontrollable Urge’ and ‘Smart Patrol’ really showcased Bob1’s guitar playing as he plowed through some hefty power chords and lead work on his Gibson Les Paul and a custom 2x4ish looking guitar that lost its strings by the end of the set.

The encore numbers were ‘Freedom of Choice’ and ‘Beautiful World’ which featured the irritatingly loveable and equally creepy Booji Boy wearing a faux fur coat with twinkling lights on vocals and general nonsense.

Other numbers featured throughout the show included ‘Jocko Homo, ‘Gates of Steel’ and ‘Secret Agent Man’.

This was another over the top fantastic performance by one of music’s most iconic and still most progressive bands. I’m glad they landed in Houston again.

A special thanks to Michael Pilmer, Band Assistant and Archivist for DEVO, for his help in making this review and photos possible for HMR.

More photos from this show by Michael and me can be viewed at DEVO’S official website http://www.clubdevo.com/