“[The B-52’s have] always been the quintessential party band” – Rolling Stone
“Devo will leave behind a legacy that is beloved by cult eccentrics and mainstream pop provocateurs.” – The Guardian
Two of rock’s most influential and distinctive forces, The B-52s and Devo, will unite for the 2025 “Cosmic De-Evolution Tour”: a co-headlining 11-date run serving as both bands’ continuing concert farewells. Lene Lovich will open the celebratory trek, which currently launches September 24th in Toronto and wraps November 2nd in Houston.
TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with CITI and AMEX presales (details below) beginning Monday, June 16. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday June 20 at 10 AM local time at LiveNation.com.
CITI PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Cosmic De-Evolution Tour*. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Monday, June 16 at 12 PM local time until Thursday, June 19 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com. *LA date is not available within this presale.
AMEX PRESALE: American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets for the Los Angeles show before the general public beginning Monday, June 16 at 10 AM local time through Thursday, June 19 at 10 PM local time.
“In 2022, I swore I’d never get on a tour bus again” said Fred Schneider “but we were careful to say to our fans that we would still perform in special situations that don’t require all of the awful tour travel. Our Vegas residency is going great, and when we were offered the chance to do a small run of shows with Devo, we all said this is an extraordinary opportunity we couldn’t say no to.”
Added Kate Pierson, “When we first came from Athens to New York City to perform, punk was in full force…and New Wave was right on its tail! We loved all the New Wave groups, including Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Blondie and the Ramones. We also really dug the far-out weirdness of Devo, which seemed very in tuned to our sensibilities. We remember one of our first shows– amazed that David Bowie, Brian Eno, Frank Zappa, Allen Ginsberg, Talking Heads and Blondie all came to see us! When we opened the Mudd Club, we partied with Devo and really hit it off on the dance floor. Later, Brian Eno went onto to produce Devo’s incredible first album…and now we will align again ! So put on your wig hats and Devo bonnets and get ready to party! This is going to be wild.”
Said Cindy Wilson, “When both of our bands performed at the recent SNL 50 concert at Radio City, we started talking and agreed we had to do these shows” says Cindy Wilson. “Believe or not, we’ve never done more than a festival or two together in all this time. This will be amazing and I can’t wait for The B-52s to share these stages with Devo!”
Said Mark Mothersbaugh, “The B-52s had one of the best sounds of any of the bands out there in the late 70’s early 80’s – Rock Lobster is one of my favorite songs – DEVO used to sing it to Booji Boy after DEVO shows. It was either fate or luck or the SNL anniversary that brought us all together to create this amazing chance to go out on tour. All I can say is Cosmic Devolution is REAL!”
Added Gerry Casale, “Devo and The B-52s on tour together! That it took almost 50 years to happen is rather mind-blowing. But better late than never. We each did something right in different ways that withstood the test of time. Now we’re here to prove we can still “bring it” as they say!”
The B-52s— led by original co-founders Fred Schneider (vocals), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards), and Cindy Wilson (vocals)—kicked off their extended goodbye run back in 2022. Since that time, they have electrified select venues and large music festivals across the U.S. and even established a Las Vegas residency at The Venetian Theatre, powered by their colorful, danceable iconic classics that have made a seismic impact on New Wave and music history. As they prepare for a 2025 farewell tour, a high-profile documentary and their first official book, The B-52s undoubtedly stand poised to inspire and influence future generations.
This curtain-call timing overlaps with Devo, who are also fronted by three of their original members: Mark Mothersbaugh (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Gerald Casale (vocals, bass, keyboards), and Bob Mothersbaugh (guitar, vocals). In 2023, the fellow New Wave icons (“Whip It,” “Uncontrollable Urge”) kicked off their own farewell tour, 50 Years of De-Evolution, paired with a compilation album of the same name. That jaunt has since been extended and continues through the summer and fall of 2025.
COSMIC DE-EVOLUTION TOUR DATES 2025
9/24 – Toronto, ONT @ Budweiser Stage
9/25 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
10/2 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
10/4 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
10/5 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
10/16 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
10/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
10/24 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
10/25 – Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
11/1 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
11/2 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sponsored by Huntsman
The B-52s — Band Biography
Selling over 20 million albums worldwide, The B-52s—Fred Schneider [vocals], Kate Pierson [vocals], Cindy Wilson [vocals], and retired-from-performing Keith Strickland [guitar, drums, keys, programming]— have quietly impacted alternative music, fashion, and culture over the course of four-plus decades. They count John Lennon, Madonna, James Murphy, Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga and Michael Stipe among their many disciples. Panic! At The Disco, Blood Orange, The Offspring, Pitbull, Roger Sanchez, and DJ Shadow have sampled classics from the band’s discography as Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy, The Simpsons, Sugarland, and more offered up covers of their own. They inched towards the forefront of the post-punk movement in America codified by 1979’s self-titled The B-52s. Not only did the record go gold, but it also placed at #152 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and #99 on VH1’s “Greatest Albums of All Time.” The gold-selling Wild Planet arrived hot on its heels in 1980. With Keith Strickland brilliantly filling the void in with music composition and live show guitar duties after Ricky Wilson’s untimely passing, 1989’s watershed Cosmic Thing elevated The B-52s to another galaxy altogether. It moved 5 million-plus units and spawned a string of Top 10 smashes in the form of the GRAMMY®-nominated “Roam” and “Love Shack”—which Rolling Stone lauded on the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” After a 16-year hiatus, The B-52s proved as bright, bold, and boundless as ever on 2008’s Funplex. The momentum only ramped up when they roamed on tour in 2015 alongside Tears for Fears, Pretenders and more, and then continued up through the band’s celebrated farewell tour launched in 2022. As they prepare to celebrate their catalog with their ongoing farewell performances, The B-52s look forward to inspiring future generations.
DEVO – Band Biography
In 1973, out of the remnants of late ’60s political activism and the rising post-punk music climate, the seminal band DEVO was born. The formative lineup consisted of two sets of brothers—Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, and Gerald and Bob Casale—along with drummer Alan Myers, all hailing from Akron, Ohio. The band’s prophetic message of “Devolution” and their strikingly original fusion of electronics and punk made them a singular influence throughout the ’80s and into the ’90s.
DEVO began when Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale met as students at Kent State University and began exchanging ideas about art and music. Deeply influenced by the Vietnam War, campus protests, and the tragic Kent State shootings of May 1970, the duo started making films and writing songs that would evolve into a wholly unique performance style. Their art-meets-music ethos quickly propelled them into the spotlight as one of the most high-profile acts in the New Wave movement, earning them a fervent cult following that included David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Neil Young.
In 1978, after an impromptu endorsement at Max’s Kansas City where David Bowie declared them “the band of the future,” DEVO was whisked off to Germany. There, Brian Eno—along with Bowie’s collaboration—produced their debut album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!. The record caught the attention of both critics and the industry, helping the band build a devoted following. It wasn’t until their third album, Freedom of Choice—produced by Bob Margouleff and featuring the double-platinum single Whip It—that DEVO became a worldwide phenomenon.
The band continued to evolve, releasing influential albums such as New Traditionalists,, Oh No! It’s DEVO, and Shout. Their visual and sonic innovations helped define the aesthetic of the early MTV era.
In 1990, DEVO went on hiatus to pursue other creative paths. Mark Mothersbaugh received a call from friend Paul Reubens and went on to compose the theme and music for Pee-wee’s Playhouse. This unexpected opportunity launched him into a prolific career in film and television composition. He founded Mutato Muzika—a full-service music production house and a nod to his DEVO roots (“mutant” + “potato”)—and brought in Bob Mothersbaugh and Bob Casale. Based in the iconic Oscar Niemeyer building on Sunset Boulevard, Mutato became one of the most successful music houses in Hollywood. Mark has since become one of the most in-demand and highest-grossing composers in the industry. In addition to hundreds of commercials, games, and television projects, his film scores include The Rugrats Movie, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Lego Movie, Thor: Ragnarok, Cocaine Bear, and most recently, A Minecraft movie.
Gerald Casale, director of most of DEVO’s music videos, became a notable figure in the MTV revolution, directing videos for bands like Rush, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, and Silverchair. He also built a successful commercial career, directing for brands including Miller Lite, Diet Coke, Mrs. Butterworth’s and Tang.
In 1996, DEVO reunited for the first time in six years at the Sundance Film Festival to an exuberant crowd—DEVO was back. With the original lineup intact (except for Alan Myers, who was replaced by drummer Josh Freese), the band reignited their live performance legacy. Freese remained with DEVO for nearly two decades.
Since then, DEVO has continued to perform at festivals and venues around the globe. Their message feels more relevant than ever, and their influence can be heard in bands ranging from Rage Against the Machine and Nirvana to LCD Soundsystem and Santigold. Kurt Cobain once said, “Of all the bands who came from the underground and made it in the mainstream, DEVO were the most challenging and subversive of all.” (Nirvana covered DEVO’s Turnaround, featured on their 1992 compilation Incesticide.)
In 2023, DEVO embarked on their 50th Anniversary Tour, featuring three original members—Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, and Gerald Casale. Jeff Friedl now holds the drumsticks, and Josh Hager has taken over for the late Bob Casale on rhythm guitar and synths. Their high-energy performances blend punk, rock, and synth-pop in a way that continues to astonish and delight audiences.
As music critic Bob Lefsetz recently wrote about DEVO’s set at Cruel World:
“It occurs to me that this music is anything but dated… make no mistake, live DEVO ROCKS!”
DEVO, the feature documentary directed by Chris Smith, will stream globally as a Netflix Original in August 2025.
CONTACT
Carleen Donovan | carleen@theoriel.co
Christina Morris | christina@theoriel.co
Nadine Pena | NadinePena@LiveNation.com
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