DEVO Announces Classic Album Re-Issues and Groundbreaking Tour

Warner Bros. Records released six of DEVO’s classic albums between the years of 1978 and 1984. To mark the band’s new deal, the label will reissue deluxe CD and limited-edition colored vinyl versions of DEVO’s 1978’s gold debut Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! and 1980’s platinum favorite Freedom of Choice, as well as a seven-inch vinyl single of “Jocko Homo/Mongoloid” on November 3rd.

The day the reissues are released, DEVO will launch a series of very special live performances in select markets (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York City, and Toronto), during which they will play back-to-back nights in each city. One the first night, the band will perform Are We Not Men? in its entirety; on the second night, they will perform Freedom of Choice in its entirety. As a bonus, fans who purchase tickets online to any one of these concerts will receive three demos recently uncovered in the DEVO vaults. The three previously unreleased versions, “Whip It,” “Red Shark” (later re-titled “It’s Not Right” and recorded with different lyrics), and “Turn Around,” were all recorded on a four-track in the band’s rehearsal space at Modern Music in Hollywood, CA. Tickets for most of the shows go on-sale on September 18th. All tour dates are listed below.

Formed in Akron, OH in 1974 as a multi-media experiment, DEVO caught the attention of such pop music luminaries as Iggy Pop, David Bowie, and Neil Young, whose support led to a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. The label released the Brian Eno-produced Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! in 1978, followed by Duty Now for the Future in 1979. In 1980, DEVO released its commercial breakthrough album Freedom of Choice, which featured the timeless Top 20 hit “Whip It,” followed by 1981’s New Traditionalists, 1982’s Oh, No! It’s Devo, and 1984’s Shout, its last album for Warner Bros. Records. After releasing 1988’s Total Devo and 1990’s Smooth Noodle Maps on Enigma Records, the band went on hiatus. Mark Mothersbaugh applied his aesthetic to the task of composing scores for TV and film features, while DEVO co-founder and principal co-songwriter Gerald Casale applied his DEVO-driven skills to directing music videos for scores of hit bands before becoming a full-time commercial director.

Now original members Gerald Casale, Bob Casale, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Bob Mothersbaugh are back with drummer Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Guns N’ Roses) and cooking up huge plans. De-evolution 2010 will include the release of a brand-new studio album (featuring top-notch producers and collaborators), international festival appearances, and a proper tour of North American, Europe, Japan, Australia, and South America. Stay tuned for more DEVO news, or visit the band’s website, www.clubdevo.com.

DEVO’s upcoming tour dates are as follows:

11/03 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theater
11/04 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theater
11/06 San Francisco The Regency Ballroom
11/07 San Francisco The Regency Ballroom
11/08 Seattle, WA The Moore
11/09 Seattle, WA The Moore
11/12 Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre
11/13 Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre
11/15 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
11/16 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
11/20 New York, NY The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
11/21 New York, NY The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
11/23 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
11/24 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre

I will be there…will you?