DEVO Special Screenings

6:15 p.m. screening to be followed by a conversation with director Chris Smith and subjects Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale and Robert Mothersbaugh.

Chris Smith’s fascinating documentary about legendary new wave provocateurs Devo will delight not only longtime “spuds” – the band’s endearing moniker for Devo-tees – but those too young to have experienced the heyday of the band’s singularly strange career. Formed in Akron, Ohio by Kent State art students Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale in the wake of the 1970 campus shootings that killed four student protestors, Devo had a vision that was rooted in sociopolitical critique from the start. Crafting quirky pop songs and committing to the bit by presenting themselves as oddball, possibly alien, outsiders, Devo in no way followed the playbook to achieve mainstream success. And yet, their synth-driven sound proved irresistible and urgent, arriving at precisely the right post-punk, new wave moment to find chart success with “Whip It” in 1980, which hit number 14 on the U.S. charts, with its accompanying video playing on heavy rotation on the then-upstart cable channel MTV. Devo were part of the ‘80s pop cultural firmament even if their record label never fully understood them or if listeners sometimes missed the social critique in the lyrics. Smith presents a wealth of rare archival performance and interview footage, making DEVO a must-see not only for the band’s many fans but also any admirer of late 20th century American absurdism. –Todd Hitchcock