DEVOtional 2006

This Devotee is physically devastated after the Sept. 16 DEVOtional at The Lime Spider in Akron, Ohio. We/I are 50-somethings and although we dance harder than most of the callow youth of today, WE HURT THAT MUCH MORE FOR IT AFTERWARDS. But... how could we stop?

DEVO has been one of my favorite bands since I first saw them on TV in early 1980, about the same time that we printed SubGenius Pamphlet #1. Many people, the half-blind or inattentive ones anyway, thought that "Bob" was somehow taken from the Chichi Rodriguez picture on DEVO's first commercial album. When I sent a Pamphlet to Club Devo, we learned that "Bob" ALREADY OWNED THE BAND!

An asshole recently told me that "watching DEVO cover bands" was not high on his priority list. I am so glad that such an attitude keeps that particular kind of asshole away from the DEVOtionals, which are joyous festivals of absolute no-holds-barred GEEKERY-INDULGENCE and SPAZZ GLEE. A "DEVO cover band" by definition isn't going to be JUST a cover band; it's going to be a CONCEPT cover band. For instance, Rev. Samantha, who performs Appalachian folk versions of DEVO songs solo on a banjo, or DEVA, the NYC female DEVO cover band.
http://www.devallure.com/

Turned out that their Booji Boy is a SubGenius from way back!

DEVA music sample: http://www.devallure.com/LoveWithoutAnger.mp3

Then there was MagiCyclops, who talks, sings and air-guitars over pre-prepared recordings, who purports to be the most pompously jaded has-been old British glam rocker ever seen bumming drinks. This guy is THE COMPLETE ROCK STAR. I talked to him at length after his performance and he NEVER breaks character. So it might as well not even BE a character. He's so convincing that I began to remember old hits of his from the 70s.
http://www.magicyclops.com/

On the other hand, every DEVOtional features a performance of the ultimate DEVO research and emulation group, THE SPUDBOYS. These guys (who only play together during DEVOtional weekends) cover old DEVO songs SCRUPULOUSLY, with uncanny adherence to the original arrangements as well as all "spazz rock star moves and poses" commonly seen in videos of DEVO shows.
http://www.spudboys.net/

After doing a full set of DEVO songs, The Spudboys close the show with "Deveoke," in which other Devotees may take the stage and sing while the band plays selected songs. Like any karaoke session, the singing ranges from ungodly terrible to better than the original.

The last three DEVOtionals have also featured Jihad Jerry (aka Gerry Casale of DEVO) both ranting and singing, usually a couple of songs each with The Spudboys and DEVA or whoever else. Jihad Jerry has a political agenda... one of those TERRIST political agendas! He uses Elvis-like hip-swiveling and a cool as hell "Osama bin Rockstar" outfit to help get his message across to the unbelievers.
http://myspace.com/jihadjerryandtheevildoers

Princess Wei and I arrived late, and missed whatever happened before 7 pm or so. There may have been other bands, and there were certainly many rare-video shows, and the kind of trading and yakking that goes with every type of convention I am familiar with (comics & sf, neopagan, booksellers, dopers, Republican, SubGenius).

Our friend Rev. Toth Wilder and his wife Sister Magdalena Hagdalena have a daughter of about 9, Katie, who was selling her own artwork in various media at a card-table when we arrived. Katie, raised by SubGeniuses, is a hell of a salesman and before she was taken home to bed she had talked me into buying an angel she had made out of a paper towel tube, for $2.

It was a good angel... she had little arms, feet, a smiling face with lipstick, wings, and a shiny halo.

Over the course of the evening, possibly influenced by the ciders I was drinking, I became very attached to the angel and ended up dancing with her, cuddling and nursing her, introducing her to people, and getting the bartenders' attention with her. I even plied her with drinks and tried to sex her. So it was that Princess Wei did almost all the picture taking.

We met the interesting folks who run this video company: http://sickvideo.com/

We appear to have many friends in common. Many friends who wear heavy, reeking foam rubber sex-monster suits.

We also met the SubGenius known as HVMonkey from http://devodude.com/ who bestowed upon us two "SlackPacks" of rare (original) DEVOid metal badges.

I am pretty sure that something else happened also, but I can't remember what it was just yet. It was too soon ago. It must have been strenuous as hell. Wei/I woke up at home about noon on Sunday and felt so beat-up that we weren't capable of much besides house-cleaning -- which ended up involving turning the beds upside down, vacuuming the CEILINGS, and other physically demanding tasks. It's funny how exhaustion will motivate certain ornery types of SubGenii into doing yet MORE exhausting physical chores -- ones that they avoid when NOT exhausted. So, in some odd, no doubt fucked-up way, we have DEVO to thank for our new sparkling clean bedrooms, library and laundry.

More on Remoronization at Booji Boy's Basement (site of Alex Brunelle, spudboy helped sponsor this DEVOtional): http://www.sanspoint.com/basement/index.html

Club DEVO: http://www.clubdevo.com/

Rev. Mike Pilmer's amazing site: http://www.devo-obsesso.com/obsesso/index.html

DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE!

DEVOtional 2006 WeiPhotos
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Exterior	Samantha	Samantha	MagicCyclops
-MagicCyclops	DEVA	DEVA	DEVA
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