Devo Rocks Multiple Hats, No Yellow Buckets, in Dynamic NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Spuds of the world unite! Everyone’s favorite devolution merchants, Devo, recently visited NPR’s Tiny Desk studio for a lively four-song performance. This set included a rare track they hadn’t played live in over 40 years.

With founding singer/keyboardist Mark Mothersbaugh leading, along with his brother and longtime guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh and original bassist Gerald Casale, the group kicked things off with the bluesy, upbeat rarity “It Takes a Worried Man.” This song, inspired by the folk classic “Worried Man Blues,” was initially recorded for the lesser-known 1982 nuclear panic comedy Human Highway, which was directed by Neil Young. In the film, Devo appeared as radioactive waste garbage men dressed in orange outfits, complete with hard hats and plastic tubes leading into their noses.

Mothersbaugh’s performance included a sermon-like breakdown about everyone reaching for that “big ice cream cone in the sky.” The song also featured an eccentric keyboard solo from Mothersbaugh, who, unfortunately, did not don the band’s famous yellow flower pot hat.

“Wasn’t that uplifting?” said Casale. “See? De-evolution isn’t depressing.” The band then transitioned to the 1979 track “Blockhead” from their second studio album, Duty Now For the Future. In this song, Mothersbaugh energetically described an uninspiring character with lines like “He is a blockhead/ Thinking man full grown/ He comes well-prepared.”

Casale brought some humor into the performance, claiming he was feeling spiritual before launching into the frantic surf punk song “Praying Hands.” This track is from Devo’s iconic 1978 debut album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!. Using a megaphone, Mothersbaugh shouted, “You got your left hand/ You got your right hand/ While the left hand diddling/ While the right hand goes to work,” adding to the song’s frenetic energy.

Not satisfied with just performing behind the desk, Mothersbaugh engaged with the audience by asking NPR staffers what their hands were doing at that very moment. He then knelt and put on a sailor’s cap he found in the NPR closet. After rummaging through the Tiny Desk closet for alternative headgear, Devo concluded their performance with another track from their debut album, the spirited “Come Back Jonee.” During this song, Mothersbaugh switched hats repeatedly, though none matched the band’s iconic yellow bucket headgear.

Devo celebrated 50 years of devolution last year and will perform at the Ohana Festival in Dana Point, CA on September 24.

Watch Devo’s NPR Tiny Desk show below.