Are We Not Grateful?

There was a couple standing near the door on the way out of the theatre last night, complaining to an usher. They wanted to know why DEVO had only played a little more than an hour. I wasn't wearing a watch, so I had no way of verifying this, but when I got back to our car I checked the clock and realized that they were just about right. After a moment of reflection, I decided that I would choose to look at the glass as being half full. Yes, the show was short - but it was intense.
It was my son's first rock concert. At eight years old, he was blissfully unaware of the desperation exhibited by the opening band, Bow Wow Wow. He was enthralled by the big drums and surf guitar that pounded its way through his ear protection. Annabelle Lwin even asked our indulgence as she and her band played a new song. A new, slow song. When at last their set was done, everyone, including my son asked the same question: Where is DEVO?
After a short break, the lights went down and the video screen lit up with distant memories of De-Evolution. The radiation suits, the rubber chicken masks, Booji Boy sticking a fork in the toaster, "Toil is Stupid," and of course, the Energy Domes. The throbbing bass carried over as the Spudboys took the stage. They launched into a ferocious set of songs that were recorded when most of the crowd was almost certainly too young to remember - if they were even born yet.
Age has taken its toll on DEVO's physical shell. Gerry Casale spent the show strapped to a device to hold him upright - "I'll bet you thought this was just a prop," he told the crowd, "It's here to hold me up until I have surgery on my L6 and L7 vertebra." Mark has a head full of silver hair. Alan wasn't pounding drums anymore, nor was Dave Kendall, but Josh Freese kept things moving without missing a beat. The Bobs (Casale and Mothersbaugh) held down their end, especially Bob M. - who gave us moments of guitar worship from days gone by.
I heard a couple of songs I hadn't hear since the last Republican regime was in power. Gerry reminded us that our president is constant proof of de-evolution. We clapped our hands, we made silly gestures, we sang along and begged for more. But when it was over, I didn't feel cheated. I had gone back in time and shared some of my past with my son. He loved it. We've been listening to DEVO since he got up this morning, with a short break to watch "Sonic X." My cup wasn't just half full, it runneth over.