For those of us lucky enough to catch our heroes in the flesh and in their prime, I guess we can sleep easy. For those artists we missed for one reason or another (there was always a reason), we may be lucky enough to catch them performing late into their careers while still on their feet. And it seems that rock & roll’s expiration date has been revoked and reset time after time.
If a band or artist necessarily can’t bring back the surprise, the shock and the sense of discovery they represented decades upon their first splash, they might be smart and lucky and flush enough to bring a sense of fun, adventure and (possibly even) chaos to their later tours. DEVO is definitely smart, lucky and, judging by the 32-foot video wall erected upstage with an entire evening of engaging visual programming pouring forth, they have the resources to go back to (their) basics and show younger bands just how you kick ass with massive visual appeal tied to the narrative of their music. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
One of those bands in their prime right now was opening act Massive Hotdog Recall, featuring Al Mothersbaugh on lead vocals and lead trombone, lending a truly inspired manic display that won over the sold out house who, to a person, I would bet, did not buy a ticket to see a 10-piece horn-driven, ska/punk outfit led by a very large blue-collar maniac with oversized glasses, a big mouth and more energy than a 3-year-old high on candy corn on Halloween night…