BIOGRAPHY
DEVO formed in 1973 in Akron, Ohio, after Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale met at Kent State University, where the 1970 shootings on campus shaped their worldview. The classic lineup paired the Mothersbaugh and Casale brothers with drummer Alan Myers, building a sound around the satirical concept of de-evolution. Their 1978 debut, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, was produced by Brian Eno and paired techno-danceable rhythms with a staccato cover of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." The band's biggest hit, "Whip It" (1980), remains their only Billboard Hot 40 entry. Rolling Stone once called the group fascists, a sign of how unsettling their imagery and jerky, robotic performance style could be to contemporaries.