Devo – Live in the Land of the Rising Sun (DVD)

I’m not exactly sure what sparked the recent bombardment of live Devo DVDs. Maybe Mark Mothersbaugh’s involvement with Wes Anderson’s films has renewed people’s interest in the new wave pioneers? After all, they practically invented the music video with their unusual imagery, so it only makes sense that their contribution to music history be given the digital treatment it deserves. Or maybe Rhino is cashing in and milking the band for all they’re worth? Whatever the reason, as a hardcore Devo fan, I’m not complaining. (Although maybe I should be.)

“Devo: Live in the Land of the Rising Sun” is the second live Devo DVD released in the past two years. This one catches up with Devo on their 2003 tour of Japan. A crowd of rabid young fans welcomes the now 50-something band to the stage, chanting their name. Somehow I doubt the band gets the same reaction in North America. For some reason it seems Devo may fit in to the Japanese culture a bit better then they do on this side of the world where “Whip It” has turned into “You can Swiffer!” and Devo are remembered by forty-somethings as the one-hit-wonders in weird yellow suits.

The concert itself is great quality, shot with multiple cameras. The track list dips into Devo’s greatest hits, including the mandatory “Whip It” and “Girl U Want”, with “Blockhead” and “Gut Feeling” among some of the pleasant surprises. The band themselves still know how to entertain, but as expected, the energy is not as consistent as their earlier days. Throughout the performance, they slowly rip apart their yellow jumpsuits piece by piece, revealing another iconic Devo costume underneath. Musically, there’s no real surprises. The songs are played note for note and pretty much match the tempo of their recorded counterparts.

The best part of this DVD is the ‘Devo in Japan’ featurette, a short documentary following Devo through the packed subway system and into some of Japan’s unusual shops. More interesting though, is an interview with Japanese new-wavers and Devo fanatics The Polysics. They discuss how Devo influenced their careers and changed rock and roll forever. As it turns out, Devo are actually fans and speak of passing the torch to their worthy Japanese clones. Outside of the documentary, fans are treated to a clip of Devo performing ‘Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy’ during a 1980 performance. This is the energetic and spastic performance footage that I was looking for. (and will be getting this year when yet another Devo live DVD is released, this time covering a 1980 performance). — Jay C.

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