Devo Whips Up Nostalgia at ‘Winter Recital’

“Do you guys really want to hear more of this stuff?” asked Devo bassist Jerry Casale, appearing slightly amazed by the enthusiastic response as the reconstituted new-wave quintet wrapped up a rare live performance Thursday at the Universal Amphitheatre.

The hour set capped the debut “Winter Recital,” the first concert soiree sponsored by KLYY-FM (107.1), better known as Y107. The lineup may have lacked the modern-rock firepower of rival KROQ-FM’s various annual events, but the capacity crowd’s affection for the acts, which also included ‘80s folk-punk trio the Violent Femmes and ‘90s pranksters Ween, helped make the show a successful beginning.

Much of Devo’s set was drawn from its first three albums, making the group’s energetic performance a fun nostalgia revue, complete with classic Devo accouterments and an appearance by frontman Mark Mothersbaugh’s alter ego, Booji Boy. Demonstrating how deeply the group’s tongue-in-cheek “devolution” philosophy sank into the hearts and minds of the so-called baby busters, much of the audience lustily sang along with every deconstructionist anthem.

If not as beloved as Devo, the Violent Femmes and Ween had their vocal supporters too. The Femmes’ emotionally wide-ranging hour, featuring such college-rock artifacts as “Blister in the Sun” as well as a chilling dirge about a father killing his daughter, contrasted sharply with Ween’s own cracked offerings, which expertly mocked everything from prog-rock to ‘70s soul to Irish folk-pop with surprising wit.