"No, that's not a colony of beautiful space aliens from Planet Claire descending upon the nearest amphitheater to entertain us. Bleep bloop: It's the B-52's. Despite initially teasing a retirement from touring back in 2022, the band has decided to reverse course and get their wigs back into fighting shape. Together with fellow pioneers of weird Devo - a misunderstood kinship they're more than happy to highlight - the two acts will fuse together for a double bill they're branding as the Cosmic De-Evolution Tour,"
"Fred Schneider, the B-52's de facto front man whose booming sing-speak is as big as a whale, is joined by fellow co-founders Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson for their live performances. While Devo and their energy domes have their own lazy interpretations to deal with, Schneider wants to make one thing perfectly clear about his legacy. "I don't like when people call us camp," he says. "Camp means you don't know you're ridiculous, and we know what we're doing."
The B-52's reversed an earlier hint of retirement and launched the Cosmic De-Evolution Tour with Devo beginning September 24. Fred Schneider fronts live shows alongside co-founders Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, while Keith Strickland stopped touring in 2013 and guitarist Ricky Wilson died in 1985. Both bands face simplified public readings, and Schneider rejects the label "camp," arguing the group has always acted with awareness and intent. Despite decades of eligibility and acknowledged influence, neither band has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a snub Schneider calls nonsensical and ultimately unimportant.
Read at Vulture
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