By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa
Live Review: DEVO’s “Mutate, Don’t Stagnate Tour” – The BayCare Sound, Clearwater, Florida – August 27, 2026
DEVO has always been my definitive bucket-list band. I still remember the sweat and manic energy of my eighteenth birthday party—a sprawling new wave and punk bash where my friends and I pogo-danced with jerky, robotic precision to their records. My teenage self instantly related to their retro, 1950s sci-fi aesthetic—a look somewhere between Lost in Space and Flash Gordon—their quirky, spastic movements, and their deadpan staccato delivery. Even my family had a strange, tangential connection to the band’s lore: our family injection molding business produced plastic flower pots that bore a striking, uncanny resemblance to DEVO’s iconic Energy Domes, making us the undisputed champions of Halloween parties.
They were entirely original, and attempts to compare them to prior acts always fall flat. No, they aren’t Kraftwerk simply because they use synthesizers. People often forget that Ohio, particularly Cleveland, cultivated a gritty, vibrant punk scene that birthed the Dead Boys, The Cramps, and eventually saw musicians like Chrissie Hynde, Ric Ocasek, and Benjamin Orr cut their teeth. DEVO emerged from that same fertile midwestern ground, armed with campy videos, biting political satire, and a prescient humor that expertly bridged the gap between the 1970s and the Reagan era. I vividly remember watching their 1978 appearance on Saturday Night Live, completely mesmerized by their deconstructed, mechanical version of the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” It was a revelation.
Following a hiatus in 1990, the band has only toured sporadically, meaning I had never actually seen them live—until last night at the BayCare Sound in Clearwater, Florida. DEVO is currently crossing North America on their Mutate-Don’t Stagnate Tour. Occurring during a highly charged election year, the tour serves as a tongue-in-cheek battle cry: get off your ass, vote, and make some change.
Thankfully, the often-brutal August weather was forgiving. The air was a tad cooler, the rain held off, and fans strolled into the venue decked out in yellow jumpsuits and blue and red Energy Domes. It is always a thrill to see hardcore fans passionately support a band’s visual mythology. The crowd skewed toward the 50s and 60s demographic, heavily dotted with younger faces—likely the offspring of first-generation devotees. The venue layout was slightly unconventional for the space, featuring a standing general admission floor with no seating except behind the soundboard, a setup usually reserved for younger-skewing acts. Because of the vast, open space, many attendees sat on the concrete curbs or crowded tightly toward the stage, making the overall crowd appear smaller than it was. True to form for many Florida summer shows, there was a slightly droopy, heat-exhausted vibe in the audience before the show. My singular hope was that the band wouldn’t pick up on that lethargy.
I shouldn’t have worried. DEVO’s performance was nothing short of spectacular.
The concert kicked off with a video intro featuring DEVO’s infamous, tongue-in-cheek antagonist, Rod Rooter. The sleazy entertainment mogul, whose antics dotted the band’s 1980s music videos and short films, was shown berating the band for blowing their commercial success, before fast-forwarding to a futuristic Rod—who was, naturally, still complaining.
Then, the stage flooded with smoke, and the band fired on all cylinders, launching into a relentless evening of greatest hits drawn straight from their beloved 70s and 80s catalog. We were instantly transported five decades back by the frenetic energy of “Girl U Want,” “Whip It,” and “Mongoloid.” Despite core members Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale, and Bob Mothersbaugh now being well into their 70s, their choreography was sharp and familiar. They were flanked by Josh Hager, who seamlessly stepped in following the late Bob Casale’s passing, and Jeff Friedl, who has anchored the drum kit since 2023.
The production value was immaculate, utilizing pristine sound quality, pedestal lights, and massive graphic screens flashing brilliant cartoons and video art. During “Jocko Homo,” the audience was treated to a glimpse of the band’s familiar chimpanzee mascot, who casually wandered out to hand the musicians equipment. The stage antics only escalated from there. The band tossed red Energy Domes and t-shirts into the crowd, and purposefully tore away pieces of each other’s yellow jumpsuits mid-song, flinging the fabric to the fans. It felt like Pee-wee’s Playhouse injected with punky-synth music and subversive attitude.
As the set progressed, the underlying themes of the music took center stage. “Freedom of Choice” sounded remarkably urgent. For those unaware, Gerald Casale recently kicked off the nation’s 250th anniversary with the single and video for his solo track “Just Do It!”, a scarily accurate observation that times haven’t really changed and de-evolution has only accelerated. That pertinence carried through the catchy melodies of “Planet Earth” and culminated with the finale, “Beautiful World.” The masked Booji Boy character made his mandatory appearance, utilizing his familiar falsetto to lay out the harsh realities of the modern age while taking a touching moment to pay homage to the “beautiful person Dolly Parton”—a lovely nod in a week where many musicians have tipped their hats to the country icon and humanitarian.
Back in the 1980s, the music video for “Beautiful World” juxtaposed a hopelessly catchy tune against grim imagery of police violence, KKK marches, nuclear explosions, consumerism, and famine. Fast-forward to today, and those historical warnings about fascism, climate change, and societal superficiality have morphed into our daily reality. The band’s core message remains: Mutate, don’t stagnate. But is it too late?
Perhaps the answer lies in the show’s final visual. As my friend Bryon Holz aptly noted while we watched the stage clear: “Dozens of bouncy balls flooding from the stage at their finish perhaps symbolize their hope—no, their demand—for a better future, despite their clearly presented case of our current de-evolution.”
Run, don’t walk, to see them.
I would like to share a neat story from my friend Josh of The Ruiners on how he met Gerald Casale when he was 11 years old: I met Devo around 2005 after I emailed them on a forum they used to have on their website called, “Tell Us Devo. ” I asked my parents if I could message them and ask when they’d come to Michigan as for a while they kept avoiding Michigan on their tours. Gerry Casale would wind up emailing me under an assumed name “Nutra” to tell me that the closest they were coming to Michigan was Green Bay, Wisconsin, and they thought it was crazy that a kid that young was actually a big fan of theirs. So, they told me to tell my mom and my dad that if they take me to Green Bay, Wisconsin and they’re able to get me a ticket, I could visit the band backstage. So my mom breaks down and buys some tickets for Green Bay concert and we went on this big road trip to see Devo. Sure enough, we got there and their Road Manager Mike Pilmer was waiting for us at the hotel with backstage passes in his hands. After the concert, I had Gerry’s email for a while, and I would just occasionally message him to ask him questions about how the band got a lot of their sound effects on certain songs and whatnot. Eventually, lost his email over the span of several years, but I’m still in contact with the rhythm guitarist Josh Hagar, who sold me a pedal that used to belong to New Order that I used as my distortion pedal for the longest time.
PHOTO GALLERY
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
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