Weenie Roast 2010 Artist Spotlight: Devo

Synth-punk rockers Devo will be playing at Weenie Roast this year, so if you missed them at Coachella, here’s your chance to see them!

Devo originated in Ohio in 1973, but are best known for their 1980 single “Whip It,” and were also one of the pioneers of music videos.

Find out more about Devo after the jump!

The first form of Devo performed as “Sextet Devo” in 1973 at Kent State and in 1976 the popular lineup was finally solidified and lasted nearly 10 years. After a few B-sides and EP’s, David Bowie and Iggy Pop helped Devo get a record deal from Warner Bros. Records, and the band put out their first full-length, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!. They gained national exposure when the crew performed on Saturday Night Live. Duty Now For The Future was their next album, released in 1979, and had hits like “Blockhead” and a cover of Johnny Rivers’ “Secret Agent Man.”

The band then released their next album, Freedom Of Choice, which contains their most-popular song “Whip It.” The next few albums that followed didn’t do so well. New Traditionalists (1981), Oh, No! It’s Devo (1982) and Shout (1984) didn’t live up to the label’s expectations, so shortly after Shout was released the band was dropped from Warner Bros. and went into a 2 year hiatus.

The band reunited in 1987 with a new drummer, David Kendrick, and put out another album titled Total Devo. They followed this release with a world tour and the release of a live album, Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at The Palace. Still not getting the album sales they were looking for, they decided to release their last album, Smooth Noodle Maps, which too flopped. The band had a falling out and went their separate ways, aside from a few random performances throughout the 90′s (including stops at Lollapalooza).

In 2005 and 2006 the band began touring again and started writing material for a new Devo album, but tension between members stopped that project. After a few more small tours, shows, and the re-release of their first album, the band headed back into the studio and worked on some more material. The new album, which should be dropping sometime this year, is titled Something For Everybody.

Check out the Virtual Tour of Devo at Coachella.

Make sure to check out this classic act at Weenie Roast!