The band takes the stage in trademark matching white "corporate uniforms" and red flower-pot hats. They open with "Whip It" and work their way through some of the more keyboard-oriented songs from Freedom of Choice, doing their best automaton imitations. As the show progresses, the band loosens up a bit, moving into a set of more guitar-oriented material from the first album, including "Satisfaction" and the irresistible, driving "Mongoloid." The set finishes up with the strange and disturbing "Tunnel of Life" (replete with faux-Fifties video footage) and the "DEVO Corporate Anthem."
The DVD features the entire Petaluma show, complete with 21 songs. Most of the hits from the first three records are here along with a few obscurities like the bizarre "Pink Pussycat." The sound and video quality are quite good considering they were recorded 25 years ago, but the primary pleasure of DEVO Live 1980 is in getting a chance to see the band's captivating and creative live show when they were in their prime. (Sadly, DEVO continued to record into the 1990s, but nothing they did after Freedom of Choice lived up to what they had achieved with the first three albums.)
The video portion of the disc tacks on exceptionally weird versions of "Praying Hands" and "Shrivel Up" that the band performed as "Dove-The Band of Love," which is DEVO dressed up in plaid sports-jackets and pretending to be a Christian band (I think). There's also a depressing promo for an upcoming video release of DEVO performing live in Japan recently. They look much, much older, but they appear to be doing the exact same stage show. If there's any question in your mind, definitely go for the vintage DEVO over the new stuff.
Since DEVO Live 1980 is on Dual Disc, the flipside of the DVD is about an hour's-worth of CD audio culled from the same show as the video.
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