DEVO Take Fans on a Nostalgic Journey at Shaky Knees 2025

The Dev-heads were out in full force, a sea of red energy domes bobbing across the crowd as Devo took the stage. For a band whose first singles came out nearly half a century ago, they sounded sharp, tight, and ever weird. It was a pleasant mixing of nostalgia and true performance.

Their visuals were as strange and fun as the music itself, trippy collages, retro cartoons, and little Easter eggs that synced perfectly with the songs. When the “whip” cracked in “Whip It,” the screens flashed a comic-book “POW.” Camp and cleverness working hand in hand. Also, they discuss their visuals in their documentary DEVO. 

Sheepishly, I’ll admit I hadn’t realized how deep their catalog of great songs runs. “Whip It” was the obvious crowd-pleaser, but “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” and “Girl U Want” were just as massive, sending waves of movement through the audience. Between songs you could spot people in full Devo outfits, dancing with abandon, feeding off the band’s own giddy energy.

I was shocked at how well they still perform. Mark Mothersbaugh and company looked like they were having genuine fun, and that attitude spilled out into the field. The older fans who’ve been there since the beginning and the younger ones who’ve only just discovered them were all moving together, a little red-dome army singing and dancing in sync.

Devo brought a set that felt vital and mischievous, a reminder of how ahead of their time they were, and still are.

Review by: David Saxum; Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III/Shaky Knees

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