As singer for the iconic and quirky new wave band Devo, Mark Mothersbaugh’s comical take on the “de-evolution of man” has been expressed through music, lyrics and those funny red energy dome hats. Last month’s “Something for Everybody” -- the band’s first album in 20 years -- revealed new blue energy domes but maintains Devo’s long-standing critique of humanity. Here, Mothersbaugh discusses the new album, his local art shows and technology’s role in de-evolution:
Q: Devo’s performance at Music Midtown in 2005 was quite memorable. How will this show compare?
A: We'll span a wider range of time because we now have new songs that we're mixing in with the greatest hits through the years. You'll definitely see the effects of gravity on the members of the band. Things are devolving at a faster rate than ever, so we're not immune to it. And we're bringing a renewed message of urgency for warning people against de-evolution.
Q: That’s a theme that Devo has been founded upon. What are some of the expansions of that theme on the new album?
A: One thing we have working in our favor, as opposed to most bands from the '70s and '80s coming back with a new record, is we're still talking about the same things we talked about then. Our concerns are the same, and we write our music in the same style. The only thing that's really changed is technology, and we're techno enthusiasts. So it's been a logical progression, and this record still sounds like Devo. There is still a place for Devo in the world today.
Q: How do you think technology has contributed to your idea of de-evolution?
A: I think technology is benign. How you use technology is what makes the difference. You can use the same technology to make cellphones as Star Wars missiles -- it all comes from the same place. It's the human mind, or lack of it, on this planet that we have to be concerned with.
Q: You express similar concerns in your visual art, which has shown locally at the now-defunct Rabbit-Hole Gallery and at ABV Gallery’s first show in May.
A: It's always a conscious decision on my part to look for galleries where the common M.O. is usually young [people] who just got out of school and said, "There's a lot of really great artists and I want people to know about them." It's easy to ignore these survivalist galleries that don't have a publicity machine working for them, but working with places like Rabbit-Hole has been some of the better experiences for me. While I lament their passing, I understand the life span of some of these galleries.
Q: You’ve never played Chastain before, and Devo may shock some of the season ticket holders enjoying wine and cheese.
A: Playing for the choir is really gratifying on many levels and feels really good. But what I would really like to do with this record is reach people who wouldn't normally show up for us. We did several TV shows recently ... but the one that I thought was the most subversive, and in a way the most interesting, of all of them was "Live with Regis and Kelly." There will be housewives all over the country going: "Now that was something strange. What was that?" They're the ones that need the message of de-evolution the most. Now I'm kind of excited about this show.
Concert preview
Devo
Wednesday, July 28 at 8 p.m.
Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta, Ga. 30327. 404-733-5012. www.classicchastain.com
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