Devo

Episode notes

(Photo: David McNew / Getty Images)

This week we’re joined by two founding members of Devo: Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale! The band kicked off their 50th anniversary farewell tour in 2023 – and it’s still going strong with new tour dates added thru this summer. 

Devo is a band, but Devo is also a concept. The band’s philosophy that humankind is on an inexorable downward slide and the only real thing that makes sense is to mark the passing with funny outfits, satirical lyrics and repetitive, almost hypnotic band arrangements.

When the band joined us they talked about how the band was founded and what it was like playing shows in their hometown of Akron, Ohio. Plus, they get into having one of their most popular songs used in a commercial for a cleaning product. 

A version of this interview originally aired in 2010.

Content warning: The founders of Devo attended Kent State University in 1970, when Ohio National Guard troops shot and killed 4 student protestors. Casale and Mothersbaugh say the massacre was the impetus for them starting the band. We’ll talk about it in this conversation. If you’re listening with anyone who might be sensitive to that, we wanted to let you know.