With their yellow radiation suits, red "energy dome" hats and manic energy, part playful and part angry, the band Devo combined the futuristic glamour of new wave with atomic-age anxieties and post- 60s disillusionment. Its biggest hit, 1980 s "Whip It," injected subversive satire straight into the heart of the American cultural mainstream.
It s the 50th anniversary of Devo, the geek-friendly, dystopia-themed band that combined synthesizers with showmanship, first founded in 1973.
As a new documentary about the group celebrates its Sundance world premiere, the Los Angeles Times explores how the band made innovative use of the technol.
Directed by Chris Smith, "Devo" dives into the history of the plastic-clad band of Ohio art students who brought subversive ideas to the 1980s mainstream.