Devo Meet & Greet in Birmingham, Michigan.
Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo at New York Paris Art Gallery (Birmingham, Michigan) - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein
Devo was scheduled to play on 6/28 at The Fillmore in Detroit, but like other shows on this tour, they were in town a day early for a fan meet & greet. A storm was coming in when we arrived at 5:00 (the scheduled start time for what was billed as a "Devo fine art photography collection & band meet and greet"). The line was just getting to the point where people would not be sheltered from the rain if the line got any longer when the wind picked up significantly and torrential rain swept in. Fortunately, Devo hadn't arrived yet, and with only about 50 people in line, they brought us all into the gallery. There was free wine and time to look around when it was announced that Devo wouldn't be there until about 6:45. I was only able to find 4 photographs of Devo, but the art gallery was packed full of music memorabilia and photography with prints ranging from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to Blondie and Sid Vicious.
Right after 6:45, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale of Devo came in and took their spots at a pre-prepared table with permanent markers and flyers set out for autographs and to greet fans. The storm was over, and we reformed the line. While record albums and energy domes were the most popular items to have signed, fans also had a few Funko Pops, CD inserts, photographs, and other things. I had the CD insert for "Duty Now For The Future/New Traditionalists" to be signed, and they noticed my Punk Rock Bowling shirt from the most current year that Devo headlined. Everything went smoothly, and there were no limitations on photos, so I snapped quite a few. Afterwards, we headed next door for dinner at Birmingham Pub before we headed out to Hamtramck for a hardcore show, followed by a punk rock show.
Catch Devo on their next tour with The B-52s, which is also coming through my town (I live only a few miles from Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, MI). I was not able to make The Fillmore show, but it looks like I will have another chance to see them soon.
