Do the Devolution! (Is Buffalo, Is Not Buffalo)
Rockin at the AKG triple-threat lineup featuring Devo, Soul Coughing and Shilpa Ray kicked off the summer in style
When Devo first emerged from Akron, OH, into the nascent ‘70s new-wave and post-punk movement, the band’s skittish, angular songwriting and addictive arrangements delivered via a “devolutionist” philosophy - based on the idea that the world is in a downward spiral fueled by decadence, moral decline, mechanization, and overconsumption - was generally viewed as quirky and perhaps a little ‘out there,’ in an interesting way.
But in 2026, just as the film Idiocracy now seems like an episode of the evening news, Devo’s entire ethos is akin to the obvious. Devolution today is less a philosophy, more a simple observation.
What a time for the band to come to Buffalo, then. It’s been 16 years since they last rolled through town. Devolution hasn’t exactly been dormant during that time.
When this beautifully curated show was first announced back in February, the responding buzz was palpable. People seemed genuinely psyched, and tickets sold briskly, a testament both to promoters Fun Time Presents and their hand-picked lineup (including Soul Coughing and Shilpa Ray), and to the AKG Art Museum itself, it’s Elmwood Avenue-facing facade offering a sublime setting for a season-starting concert.
That this wasn’t a pre-fab package tour aimed squarely at a single demographic added to the general air of awesomeness that pervaded from Shilpa Ray and band’s first tune, through Soul Coughing’s all but show-stealing set, and right up until Devo’s sublime performance was cut a bit short by the appearance of a frankly ominous lightning storm. This was a gig befitting its setting, on the grounds of a world-renowned art museum.
Shilpa Ray and her band got the ball rolling with a fierce set of 21st century NYC punk rock.
At first, it wasn’t entirely clear that Ray’s sometimes trippy, sometimes aggressive and squalling art-punk was connecting with what was ostensibly a Devo crowd, with plenty of flower-pot hats and jumpsuits visible among the assembled. That vibe didn’t last, though - by their second tune, Ray and her band had turned any doubters into believers, reconnecting those old enough to remember to a late-70s, ‘Patti Smith Band at CBGBs’ type of atmosphere (something I know about only through reading the reports of others), poetry and noise, wry observation and passionate keening in equal evidence. It all made perfect sense, ultimately.
Despite their being ample enticing shows happening in Buffalo on the same night as this one, Rockin’ at the AKG felt like a family reunion for a large swath of the region’s musician and music-loving community. And it would be remiss not to note that, based on conversations I had during the day, many of them were there primarily for Soul Coughing. (Initially, I numbered myself among them, but my view was expanded by Devo’s incredible set - more on that in a minute.)
This show was a bit of a one-off for Soul Coughing, which disbanded in a haze of hurt feelings and festering recriminations more than 25 years ago, and didn’t fully reform until 2024. That made the Buffalo show particularly enticing for fans of a band that didn’t really sound like anyone else when they emerged in the 90s, and still doesn’t today. Man, did we get our money’s worth.
Vocalist/guitarist/poet Mike Doughty, keyboardist/sampling mastermind Mark Degli Antoni, drummer Yuval Gabay and bassist Sebastian Steinberg crafted a blend of spoken word, funk, jazz, hip-hop, minimalistic grooves, and unexpected hooks that sounded futuristic in the mid-90s, and remains forward-looking today.
Pulling tracks from their three studio albums, Ruby Vroom, Irresistible Bliss and El Oso, Soul Coughing took the stage like they owned the place, and simply crushed it, from first groove to last note. Doughty seemed relaxed and focused, his infectious baritone in fine form, his mantra-like, percussive phrasing on glorious display, from the moment he intoned “Get onto the bus,” and summoned the funky freakishness of “Bus to Beelzebub.”
The sound was loud as hell and crystal clear, which was particularly significant for those of us who consider bassist Steinberg a lord of the realm. Steinberg’s fat, round upright bass tone is a key ingredient in Soul Coughing’s gumbo, and the way he and drummer Gabay locked in throughout the set was magical to behold. I had a ‘mind left body’ moment during “Blue Eyed Devil,” it’s trance-inducing groove and strange variation on funk consuming me. Looking around, it was obvious I was far from the only fan who’d achieved lift-off.
The brilliantly employed samples employed by Degli Antoni reminded me of J Dilla’s Doughnuts, so seamlessly were their woven into the sonic fabric.
The band played what serious fans would’ve wanted - “Soft Serve,” “The Idiot Kings,” “True Dreams of Wichita,” “Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago,” and, of course, “Super Bon Bon” all made a strong showing. What a special show from a truly special band.
I have no idea what Devo sounded like in concert back in October of 1981, when they played Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, but I can attest that Devo in 2026 is a face-smacking band that shows no signs of being an oldies act. They sounded amazing at the AKG - full, loud, incredibly tight, and totally on point.
Three founding members — Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale — were joined by drummer Jeff Friedl and guitarist/keyboardist Josh Hager, taking on duties once filled by the late Bob Casale, for a set that was headed for outer space (with an accompanying Carl Sagan video, for good measure, before lightning forced the pulling of the plug.
I doubt anyone felt short-changed, though. An hour with an absolutely on-fire Devo is an hour we’re unlikely to ever forget. I mean, we haven’t devolved that far, right? Some of guys still have good taste…
Devo
Rockin’ the AKG, Buffalo, NY
June 6, 2026
Setlist:
Don’t Shoot (I’m A Man)
Peek-a-Boo!
That’s Good
Girl U Want
Whip It
Planet Earth
Uncontrollable Urge
Blockhead
Mongoloid
We enjoyed it all…but..but… SOUL COUGHING was all I hoped for and more! Years ago in a basement cover band, we did St Louise is Listening. I had an electronic drum kit and programmed it to their unique sound. 🤗 So fun.
My Dad has told the story for years of how he and a few friends were supposed to see Devo in the early 80s and it got cancelled due to low ticket sales. Glad that isn’t the case now. Thanks for the write up!