From the Desk of the Archivist

Hello, potato people! Gee, it’s been a while since the Basement collection got an update, eh? Real life toil has a way of creating that effect, but rest assured, the Basement is in continual operation, and unless a posted update says otherwise, orders will always be filled. There’s a lot to go over, and for the first time, I’m including a bullet point list of all changes and additions made to the Basement’s collection at the bottom of this posting. (2023-11-09 edit: Further minor updates have been made, and those changes are reflected below the original update log for this post.)

While on the topic of website operations, I would like to address an ongoing issue we had been experiencing with the Basement: there was some weirdness going on somewhere that was preventing automated order confirmation emails, both to the spuds requesting the material, and to me directly. Our tireless website guru, Shelby, worked hard to find the goblin deep in the tubes to solve the problem, and the issue should now be resolved. Should anything like this happen again in the future, please be assured that I will be manually checking orders and replying to all who order.

Before getting into the latest non-commercial DEVO material we host here in the Basement, I want to make sure that every good spud is aware of the absolutely unbelievable Art Devo: 1973-1977 release from Futurismo, Inc. This is a release that hardcore fans have been dreaming about for decades. Many tracks that were formerly distributed in the Basement’s compilations of demos and live rarities have now been officially released on this set. Due to the dedicated work of archivist Peter Conheim, the tracks on Art Devo are sourced from their master tapes for the first time ever. The release blows every bootleg version of known tracks out of the water, and introduces us to a wealth of never-before-heard recordings. It is a simply stunning sonic collection. The limited edition vinyl versions have sold out by now, but a CD version (linked above) is due for release in the very near future, and a standard vinyl edition will follow sometime next year. The Basement expects all good spuds to support the band’s work and purchase this incredible set.

That isn’t the only DEVO vinyl release of 2023! Rhino has also released what’s a sort of updated version of 2000’s Pioneers Who Got Scalped, in the form of 50 Years of De-Evolution: 1973-2023. The limited edition deluxe 4LP vinyl box set is still available (for the moment), the CD version contains all the same tracks, the standard black 2LP version distills down to only the best of the best, and the retail exclusive red and blue 2LP version does the same thing while looking nicer. While longtime fans may already own most of the material on this set, perhaps those spuds can use this convenient opportunity to foist the best the band has to offer on their friends and family this holiday season.

In the wake of these releases, many signature Basement Compilations have been overhauled to not only remove recordings that are now commercially available for the first time, but to also upgrade and add more than a handful of tracks. Ultimate Unreleased Demos & Outtakes Collection (1973-2009) and Ultimate Live Rarities Collection (1973-2018) have seen the largest amount of changes, but most other compilations have also been updated. To aid everyone in being able to keep track of these changes, detailed revision histories are now included on the listing pages and in text files included with these releases.

Of course, the biggest update to the collection is in the Live Performances category. Many legendary live recordings from 1977 and 1978 have been newly transferred from their master tapes, and we’re very happy to now host those upgrades. There’s a newly circulating show from 1978-10-09 that includes opening sets by Genral Jackett and The Visitors, and you can head on over to that page to learn why that’s so interesting. (Note: Although the Basement previously had a different recording listed for this date, further inspection revealed it was another recording of the performance from the next evening, 1978-10-10. Apologies for perpetuating incorrect information.) There’s also a couple of newly surfaced recordings from 1990 and a slew of recordings from 2021-2023.

There are also some small but mighty additions to the Interviews, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Specialty categories. And, as always, all the newest additions are marked for easy reference while browsing.

While the world at large continues to shrivel up, DEVO’s 50th anniversary has made 2023 a good time to be a DEVO fan. Spuds have been treated to live performances all around the world, two essential new releases in the forms of Art Devo and 50 Years of De-Evolution, an incredible-as-always DEVOtional event in Cleveland, and a slew of beautiful and mutated merchandise. Duty now for the next 50 years of DE-VO.

Looking forward to the future of Booji Boy’s Basement, I hope to make another update towards the end of the year to add any recordings of DEVO’s upcoming shows in November and December of this year. I also have a few other ideas and curatorial projects that I’d like to tend to before the end of 2023. I won’t make any promises I can’t keep, but I want spuds out there to know that, even when much time passes in between website updates, the gears are always turning to make the archive more complete, and orders are regularly being filled (over 1000 since our relaunch in October 2020!).

March on!
-Alex Brunelle
archivist-in-residence, Booji Boy’s Basement

Update Log 2023-11-02

Live Performances

Compilations

Mark Mothersbaugh

Interviews

Specialties

Update Log 2023-11-09

Live Performances

  • 1978-11-03 – replaced distributed fileset with original fileset of same tape transfer
  • 1981-10-31 – fixed new 2023 files had two tracks misidentified and improperly sequenced (further details on listing page)

Compilations

  • Make Me Dance – updated to v2.2 compiled 2023-11-09: added of “Watch Us Work It” remixes and “Don’t Roof Rack Me, Bro” remix
  • DEVO Goes to Hollywood – updated to v2.1 compiled 2023-11-09: removed “Don’t Roof Rack Me, Bro” remix to Make Me Dance compilation