I get very frequent emails from the many exciting venues in Seattle- God knows if I miss anything, I will actually die. Today an email came from the Paramount, letting me know that I could Pre-Order Devo tickets at any time. (I should mention that they sent me notifications for EVERY show- not just DEVO.) Curious about how much Devo could possibly set you back ($46-$66) I clicked to view the ticketing page (no, seriously, $46-$66). The following text appeared:
One of new wave's most innovative and (for a time) successful bands, Devo was also perhaps one of its most misunderstood. Formed in Akron, OH, in 1972 by Kent State art students Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo took its name from their concept of "de-evolution" -- the idea that instead of evolving, mankind has actually regressed, as evidenced by the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society. Their music echoed this view of society as rigid, repressive, and mechanical, with appropriate touches -- jerky, robotic rhythms; an obsession with technology and electronics (the group was among the first non-prog rock bands to make the synthesizer a core element); often atonal melodies and chord progressions -- all of which were filtered through the perspectives of geeky misfits. Devo became a cult sensation, helped in part by their concurrent emphasis on highly stylized visuals, and briefly broke through to the mainstream with the smash single "Whip It," whose accompanying video was made a staple by the fledgling MTV network. Sometimes resembling a less forbidding version of the Residents, Devo's simple, basic electronic pop sound proved very influential, but it was also somewhat limited, and as other bands began expanding on the group's ideas, Devo seemed unable to keep pace. After a series of largely uninteresting albums, the band called it quits early in the '90s, and Casale and Mothersbaugh concentrated on other projects.
This is the text designed to interest you in coming to the concert. Is it normal for this sort of text to include why nobody listens to this band anymore? Just imagine...
One of pop's innovators, Brittany Spears popularized the good girl gone bad pop diva genre of music. Her many smash hits topped the charts until in a bizarre twist she got knocked up by a no-talent, white trash, wigger and became a fat shrew with the parenting skills of a guppy. Sucked down the toilet by her fascinatingly dysfunctional home life and the public realization that she couldn't sing, Brittany sank into a deep Ho-Ho induced coma for 25 years- I mean focused on other projects. Catch her this Friday at the Tractor Tavern. 3$ cover.
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