Fred Armisen might have spent the last two decades making countless people laugh with his comedy prowess, but now he’s managed to show off his musical talents again, joining Devo onstage in California over the weekend.
On Saturday night, new-wave icons Devo reconvened to perform their first full show in four years at the Burger Boogaloo festival in Oakland, California. Performing alongside the likes of The Damned, Mudhoney, and more, the music legends were also joined by former Saturday Night Live and Portlandia star Fred Armisen.
Standing in for Josh Freese, the band announced the news to their fans on Twitter the day prior to the gig. “Our friend Fred Armisen, longtime DEVOtee, will be joining us on drums for the Burger Boogaloo show in Oakland, CA this weekend,” the group wrote on Twitter.
“He brought his vintage Club DEVO membership kit to rehearsals, which he purchased in the early 1980s. Duty Now For The Future, Fred!
Our friend Fred Armisen, longtime DEVOtee, will be joining us on drums for the Burger Boogaloo show in Oakland, CA this weekend. He brought his vintage Club DEVO membership kit to rehearsals, which he purchased in the early 1980s. Duty Now For The Future, Fred! @BURGERRECORDS pic.twitter.com/nE4HY4Etmj
— DEVO (@DEVO) June 29, 2018
Donning the famed jumpsuit and energy dome, Fred Armisen sat in for the group, performing a number of their classic hits including ‘Girl U Want, ‘Mongoloid’, ‘Beautiful World’, and of course, ‘Whip It’, to an eager crowd.
In recent years, Fred Armisen has become known to music fans for his work through Portlandia, which has seen him team up with Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein to deliver sketch comedy with layers pf satire. The program has also included a number of musical guests, including Black Flag’s Henry Rollins, Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, and Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty in its final season alone.
However, Armisen first made a name for himself in the early ’80s as a member of various bands, most notably Trenchmouth, who disbanded in 1996, allowing him to pursue his dream of being on TV, a dream that he claims was inspired by Devo.
“I remember seeing the Clash live on TV, or Devo would turn up on shows. I was like, ‘That’s the perfect mix of everything — it’s beyond a record’,” Armisen explained in 2011. “Devo in particular paid attention to their aesthetics.”
It’s all come full circle now.
Check out Fred Armisen performing with Devo over the weekend:
Devo @ Burger Boogaloo, California, USA 30/06/18 Setlist
‘Girl U Want’
‘Whip It’
‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ (The Rolling Stones cover)
‘Secret Agent Man’ (P.F. Sloan & Steve Barri cover)
‘Uncontrollable Urge’
‘Mongoloid’
‘Jocko Homo’
‘Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA’
‘Gates Of Steel’
Encore:
‘DEVO Corporate Anthem’
‘Gut Feeling (Slap Your Mammy)’
‘Beautiful World’
‘The Girl Can’t Help It’ (Little Richard cover)
Encore 2:
‘Come Back Jonee’
