The October 30 stop on the bands' Cosmic De-Evolution Tour drew a surprisingly modest crowd for two acts that helped reshape alternative music. But the people who showed up came ready to have fun, with Halloween costumes that were almost as entertaining as the performances themselves.
There were plenty of DEVO's signature red energy-dome hats, several creative interpretations of The B-52s' "Rock Lobster," and even one particularly committed attendee dressed as an actual Love Shack. It was fantastic people-watching, and the combination of costumes, music and general weirdness made the amphitheatre feel like a Halloween party for people who have never been particularly interested in fitting in.
The B-52s performed first, which initially surprised me. Given their enormous catalog of recognizable hits, I had assumed they would close the evening, but the two bands proved to be an inspired pairing, each offering a completely different interpretation of what it means to be musically unconventional.
The B-52s formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976, emerging from a small artistic community that would eventually help make the college town an unlikely center of American alternative music. Their sound was unlike practically anything else at the time, combining surf rock, garage music, science-fiction imagery, campy humor and the unmistakable vocal interplay of Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson.
Their name was inspired by the towering beehive hairstyles associated with the band, and their entire aesthetic seemed borrowed from some imaginary 1960s beach party populated by aliens, beatniks and thrift-store fashion obsessives. They were deliberately ridiculous, but beneath the humor were genuinely inventive arrangements, terrific melodies and an approach to pop music that influenced generations of musicians.
Their self-titled 1979 debut introduced "Rock Lobster," a song so wonderfully strange that it's remarkable it ever became a mainstream cultural fixture. A decade later, the band's 1989 album Cosmic Thing brought enormous commercial success with "Love Shack" and "Roam," transforming the former underground favorites into international pop stars without entirely sacrificing their eccentric personalities.
Nearly five decades after forming, The B-52s remain a delightfully peculiar live act.
The B-52s formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976, emerging from a small artistic community that would eventually help make the college town an unlikely center of American alternative music. Their sound was unlike practically anything else at the time, combining surf rock, garage music, science-fiction imagery, campy humor and the unmistakable vocal interplay of Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson.
Their name was inspired by the towering beehive hairstyles associated with the band, and their entire aesthetic seemed borrowed from some imaginary 1960s beach party populated by aliens, beatniks and thrift-store fashion obsessives. They were deliberately ridiculous, but beneath the humor were genuinely inventive arrangements, terrific melodies and an approach to pop music that influenced generations of musicians.
Their self-titled 1979 debut introduced "Rock Lobster," a song so wonderfully strange that it's remarkable it ever became a mainstream cultural fixture. A decade later, the band's 1989 album Cosmic Thing brought enormous commercial success with "Love Shack" and "Roam," transforming the former underground favorites into international pop stars without entirely sacrificing their eccentric personalities.
Nearly five decades after forming, The B-52s remain a delightfully peculiar live act.
They opened Friday's performance with "Planet Claire," immediately establishing their retro-futuristic atmosphere before moving into "Mesopotamia," "Give Me Back My Man" and "6060-842." Behind them, a giant screen displayed a succession of colorful, surreal and occasionally bizarre visuals that perfectly complemented their music.
The set moved through "Deadbeat Club," "52 Girls" and "Party Out of Bounds," with the band's playful personalities and unusual musical arrangements keeping the audience engaged. There is something refreshing about a group that has never seemed particularly concerned with appearing cool in any conventional sense, even though that refusal to conform is precisely what makes them so cool.
"Roam" was a particular highlight, its soaring harmonies and irresistible melody reminding everyone how effortlessly The B-52s could create genuinely brilliant pop music. "Dance This Mess Around" and "Private Idaho" showcased their stranger, more angular side, offering a glimpse of the experimental roots that made them such an important part of the early new wave movement.
The set moved through "Deadbeat Club," "52 Girls" and "Party Out of Bounds," with the band's playful personalities and unusual musical arrangements keeping the audience engaged. There is something refreshing about a group that has never seemed particularly concerned with appearing cool in any conventional sense, even though that refusal to conform is precisely what makes them so cool.
"Roam" was a particular highlight, its soaring harmonies and irresistible melody reminding everyone how effortlessly The B-52s could create genuinely brilliant pop music. "Dance This Mess Around" and "Private Idaho" showcased their stranger, more angular side, offering a glimpse of the experimental roots that made them such an important part of the early new wave movement.
The closing stretch was exactly what the crowd wanted. "Love Shack" turned the amphitheatre into a massive singalong, followed by "Rock Lobster," which remains one of the most wonderfully absurd songs ever to become a popular hit.
The B-52s are a band that transports you into their own alternative universe, one where being strange is celebrated and music exists primarily to make people dance, laugh and enjoy themselves. Their performance was fun, colorful and thoroughly entertaining, a fitting soundtrack for a crowd dressed like lobsters, aliens and human-sized novelty architecture.
Then DEVO took the stage, and I discovered just how much I had been missing.
I knew DEVO primarily from "Whip It," their inescapable 1980 hit, and was familiar with the red hats, robotic movements and general reputation for eccentricity. What I hadn't fully appreciated was that beneath all the costumes, satire and synthesizers is an absolutely phenomenal rock band.
These guys fucking rock.
The B-52s are a band that transports you into their own alternative universe, one where being strange is celebrated and music exists primarily to make people dance, laugh and enjoy themselves. Their performance was fun, colorful and thoroughly entertaining, a fitting soundtrack for a crowd dressed like lobsters, aliens and human-sized novelty architecture.
Then DEVO took the stage, and I discovered just how much I had been missing.
I knew DEVO primarily from "Whip It," their inescapable 1980 hit, and was familiar with the red hats, robotic movements and general reputation for eccentricity. What I hadn't fully appreciated was that beneath all the costumes, satire and synthesizers is an absolutely phenomenal rock band.
These guys fucking rock.
DEVO's music is almost impossible to categorize. There is punk, hard rock, electronic music, industrial experimentation, art rock, new wave and synthesizer-driven dance music, sometimes colliding within the same song. And despite drawing from so many different styles, they sound unmistakably like DEVO. Nobody else really does what they do.
The band formed in Akron, Ohio, in 1973, with its origins rooted in the artistic and intellectual environment surrounding Kent State University. Founding members Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh developed the concept of "de-evolution," the idea that humanity wasn't necessarily advancing toward greater intelligence and enlightenment, but might instead be regressing into conformity, ignorance and increasingly absurd behavior.
The 1970 Kent State shootings, which Casale witnessed and in which he lost friends, helped shape the band's distrust of authority and its darker artistic outlook. While The B-52s emerged from Georgia's colorful underground party scene, DEVO developed in the industrial Midwest with a more confrontational combination of music, visual art, political satire and social commentary.
Their 1978 debut album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, produced by Brian Eno, introduced a sound that seemed to exist somewhere between punk rock and a malfunctioning science-fiction experiment. Their 1980 album Freedom of Choice brought wider commercial recognition, particularly through "Whip It," whose memorable music video helped establish DEVO as one of the defining acts of the early MTV era.
But reducing DEVO to "Whip It" is a little like reducing David Bowie to "Let's Dance." It's a terrific song, but it barely begins to explain the depth, experimentation and sheer musical imagination behind the band.
The band formed in Akron, Ohio, in 1973, with its origins rooted in the artistic and intellectual environment surrounding Kent State University. Founding members Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh developed the concept of "de-evolution," the idea that humanity wasn't necessarily advancing toward greater intelligence and enlightenment, but might instead be regressing into conformity, ignorance and increasingly absurd behavior.
The 1970 Kent State shootings, which Casale witnessed and in which he lost friends, helped shape the band's distrust of authority and its darker artistic outlook. While The B-52s emerged from Georgia's colorful underground party scene, DEVO developed in the industrial Midwest with a more confrontational combination of music, visual art, political satire and social commentary.
Their 1978 debut album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, produced by Brian Eno, introduced a sound that seemed to exist somewhere between punk rock and a malfunctioning science-fiction experiment. Their 1980 album Freedom of Choice brought wider commercial recognition, particularly through "Whip It," whose memorable music video helped establish DEVO as one of the defining acts of the early MTV era.
But reducing DEVO to "Whip It" is a little like reducing David Bowie to "Let's Dance." It's a terrific song, but it barely begins to explain the depth, experimentation and sheer musical imagination behind the band.
Friday night's performance made that abundantly clear.
DEVO opened with "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)," immediately launching into a high-energy performance that felt remarkably aggressive for musicians who have been doing this for more than half a century. "Peek-A-Boo!" and "Going Under" followed, combining pounding rhythms, sharp guitar work, synthesizers and the band's signature robotic theatricality.
The enormous screen behind the stage was practically another band member, displaying a relentless stream of bizarre animations, satirical imagery and strange visual sequences that complemented the music without distracting from it. Costume changes, synchronized movements and elaborate stage choreography made the entire production feel like a carefully constructed piece of performance art.
But what impressed me most was the musicianship.
The band members moved between instruments, shared vocal duties and contributed to a sound that was far more muscular and complex than I expected. Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale remain commanding performers, but DEVO's appeal extends well beyond any single personality. The entire group operates as a remarkably tight musical machine, even while deliberately appearing to be a collection of malfunctioning robots.
"Girl U Want" and "Whip It" delivered the recognizable hits, with the latter sounding even better live than I remembered. Its familiar synthesizer riff and driving rhythm were fantastic, and hearing the song performed by the musicians who created it was an undeniable thrill.
But the songs I didn't know were what made the concert extraordinary.
"Uncontrollable Urge" was a ferocious blast of punk energy, while "Blockhead" demonstrated the band's ability to turn strange rhythms and seemingly ridiculous lyrics into something genuinely compelling. "Mongoloid," from their debut album, was another reminder of how provocative and musically adventurous DEVO was from the beginning.
And then there was "Jocko Homo."
What an absolutely insane piece of music.
DEVO opened with "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)," immediately launching into a high-energy performance that felt remarkably aggressive for musicians who have been doing this for more than half a century. "Peek-A-Boo!" and "Going Under" followed, combining pounding rhythms, sharp guitar work, synthesizers and the band's signature robotic theatricality.
The enormous screen behind the stage was practically another band member, displaying a relentless stream of bizarre animations, satirical imagery and strange visual sequences that complemented the music without distracting from it. Costume changes, synchronized movements and elaborate stage choreography made the entire production feel like a carefully constructed piece of performance art.
But what impressed me most was the musicianship.
The band members moved between instruments, shared vocal duties and contributed to a sound that was far more muscular and complex than I expected. Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale remain commanding performers, but DEVO's appeal extends well beyond any single personality. The entire group operates as a remarkably tight musical machine, even while deliberately appearing to be a collection of malfunctioning robots.
"Girl U Want" and "Whip It" delivered the recognizable hits, with the latter sounding even better live than I remembered. Its familiar synthesizer riff and driving rhythm were fantastic, and hearing the song performed by the musicians who created it was an undeniable thrill.
But the songs I didn't know were what made the concert extraordinary.
"Uncontrollable Urge" was a ferocious blast of punk energy, while "Blockhead" demonstrated the band's ability to turn strange rhythms and seemingly ridiculous lyrics into something genuinely compelling. "Mongoloid," from their debut album, was another reminder of how provocative and musically adventurous DEVO was from the beginning.
And then there was "Jocko Homo."
What an absolutely insane piece of music.
The song is a showcase of everything that makes DEVO special, shifting between aggressive punk, pounding rock, electronic experimentation and absurdist theatricality. Its rhythms are strange, its structure unconventional and its energy completely infectious. Hearing it live was one of those moments when you realize you're witnessing musicians operating in a category entirely their own.
It was heavy, funny, unsettling and exhilarating, sometimes all at once. For a band so closely associated with synthesizers and new wave imagery, DEVO can be astonishingly hard-rocking, and "Jocko Homo" made that impossible to overlook.
"Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA" was another highlight, demonstrating just how ambitious the band's compositions can be, while "Gates of Steel" brought a powerful combination of melody, guitar-driven intensity and futuristic atmosphere. By the time they reached "Freedom of Choice," I was completely sold.
What makes DEVO particularly impressive is how fully realized their artistic identity remains. The costumes aren't just costumes, the videos aren't merely background decoration, and the strange lyrics aren't simply jokes. Everything is part of a larger creative vision that has remained recognizable for more than 50 years without sounding like anyone else's.
They're also tremendously entertaining. Their performances are theatrical without feeling self-indulgent, technically impressive without becoming showy, and funny without sacrificing the seriousness of the music.
It's an extraordinary combination, and one that very few bands have ever managed to achieve.
The Cosmic De-Evolution Tour brings together two groups whose careers began in the 1970s but whose influence extends far beyond that era. Both helped establish the foundations of alternative music, challenged conventional ideas about what a rock band should look and sound like, and created distinctive artistic identities that remain instantly recognizable decades later.
The B-52s approached that mission through dance music, surf guitars, humor and exuberant weirdness. DEVO pursued it through aggressive experimentation, social satire, electronic innovation and a distinctly darker sense of absurdity. Both proved that popular music could be playful, intelligent and completely unconventional without sacrificing its ability to entertain.
The relatively small crowd in Chula Vista was surprising, especially considering the influence of both bands and the fact that the concert fell on Halloween weekend. But it also made for a comfortable evening at an amphitheatre that can sometimes feel overwhelming when packed to capacity.
I left with a renewed appreciation for The B-52s and something approaching an obsession with DEVO.
On the drive home, I started exploring more of DEVO's catalog and kept discovering excellent songs they hadn't even performed. I found myself wondering why I'd never taken the time to listen more closely, especially considering how many decades their music has been available.
It was heavy, funny, unsettling and exhilarating, sometimes all at once. For a band so closely associated with synthesizers and new wave imagery, DEVO can be astonishingly hard-rocking, and "Jocko Homo" made that impossible to overlook.
"Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA" was another highlight, demonstrating just how ambitious the band's compositions can be, while "Gates of Steel" brought a powerful combination of melody, guitar-driven intensity and futuristic atmosphere. By the time they reached "Freedom of Choice," I was completely sold.
What makes DEVO particularly impressive is how fully realized their artistic identity remains. The costumes aren't just costumes, the videos aren't merely background decoration, and the strange lyrics aren't simply jokes. Everything is part of a larger creative vision that has remained recognizable for more than 50 years without sounding like anyone else's.
They're also tremendously entertaining. Their performances are theatrical without feeling self-indulgent, technically impressive without becoming showy, and funny without sacrificing the seriousness of the music.
It's an extraordinary combination, and one that very few bands have ever managed to achieve.
The Cosmic De-Evolution Tour brings together two groups whose careers began in the 1970s but whose influence extends far beyond that era. Both helped establish the foundations of alternative music, challenged conventional ideas about what a rock band should look and sound like, and created distinctive artistic identities that remain instantly recognizable decades later.
The B-52s approached that mission through dance music, surf guitars, humor and exuberant weirdness. DEVO pursued it through aggressive experimentation, social satire, electronic innovation and a distinctly darker sense of absurdity. Both proved that popular music could be playful, intelligent and completely unconventional without sacrificing its ability to entertain.
The relatively small crowd in Chula Vista was surprising, especially considering the influence of both bands and the fact that the concert fell on Halloween weekend. But it also made for a comfortable evening at an amphitheatre that can sometimes feel overwhelming when packed to capacity.
I left with a renewed appreciation for The B-52s and something approaching an obsession with DEVO.
On the drive home, I started exploring more of DEVO's catalog and kept discovering excellent songs they hadn't even performed. I found myself wondering why I'd never taken the time to listen more closely, especially considering how many decades their music has been available.
That realization became one of my favorite parts of the entire experience.
It's remarkably easy to spend years listening to the same artists, revisiting the same albums and buying concert tickets only when we're already familiar with most of the songs. We develop our tastes, settle into them and sometimes stop exploring, even though there is an almost limitless amount of incredible music waiting to be discovered.
And that tendency extends well beyond music.
The more we expose ourselves to unfamiliar art, cultures, ideas and experiences, the more interesting our understanding of the world becomes. Sometimes something we've casually dismissed turns out to be extraordinary once we give it a proper chance.
I went to Friday's concert expecting to have fun hearing a collection of familiar songs from two famously quirky bands. Instead, I experienced a fantastic Halloween celebration with The B-52s and discovered that DEVO is one of the most original, talented and flat-out exhilarating live acts I've ever seen.
I would absolutely see both bands again, and I'm particularly eager for another opportunity to experience DEVO now that I have a much better appreciation for their music.
Go to the concert. Buy the tickets. See the band you only know one song from. You don't need to recognize every song or know the entire history of an artist to have an incredible time.
Sometimes the best concerts are the ones that introduce you to music you didn't even realize you were missing.
It's remarkably easy to spend years listening to the same artists, revisiting the same albums and buying concert tickets only when we're already familiar with most of the songs. We develop our tastes, settle into them and sometimes stop exploring, even though there is an almost limitless amount of incredible music waiting to be discovered.
And that tendency extends well beyond music.
The more we expose ourselves to unfamiliar art, cultures, ideas and experiences, the more interesting our understanding of the world becomes. Sometimes something we've casually dismissed turns out to be extraordinary once we give it a proper chance.
I went to Friday's concert expecting to have fun hearing a collection of familiar songs from two famously quirky bands. Instead, I experienced a fantastic Halloween celebration with The B-52s and discovered that DEVO is one of the most original, talented and flat-out exhilarating live acts I've ever seen.
I would absolutely see both bands again, and I'm particularly eager for another opportunity to experience DEVO now that I have a much better appreciation for their music.
Go to the concert. Buy the tickets. See the band you only know one song from. You don't need to recognize every song or know the entire history of an artist to have an incredible time.
Sometimes the best concerts are the ones that introduce you to music you didn't even realize you were missing.
Originally published on October 31, 2026.
