Jerry in concert
Gerald Casale (born Gerald Pizzute, July 28, 1948) is the Bass Guitar/Synth Player, a vocalist, and one of the founding members (along with Mark Mothersbaugh and Bob Lewis) of the new wave band Devo. With Mothersbaugh, who he met at Kent State University, Casale co-wrote most of Devo's material (including the hit Whip It), designed Devo's distinctive attire (including the Energy Dome, plastic pompadours and yellow suits) over the years with Mothersbaugh, conceptualized and directed most of Devo's videos.
Casale worked on a solo project called Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers that included pre-Devo guitarist Peter Gregg. He also has recently worked on a Devo biopic and a Devo musical (but both projects unfunded). He is currently active on twitter, and often follows back fans who follow him.
Gerald Casale uses a right-handed Steinberger L-Series bass guitar, played upside down. He would love the opportunity to make another Devo album. [1]
Outside of Devo, Casale developed friendships with up-and-coming Los Angeles chefs, an interest in fine cuisine, and in pairing foods with fine wines. With business partners, he has filed a patent for a type of wine rack and much later launched a private label wine.[2] He fully restored a Richard Neutra house before selling it and built the previously unrealized 50' by 50' house from the plans drawn by Mies Van Der Rohe. It is used as a wine tasting room.
Gerald and his wife Krista have an awareness of and an interest in reducing animal cruelty. PeTA approached Casale to direct an awareness video with footage of the treatment of performance animals. Casale attended a PeTA 25th anniversary event. He enlisted his band-members to make the song "Don't Roof Rack Me, Bro! (Seamus Unleashed)" about a political candidates' treatment of the family dog. He approached his band-mates to approve giving royalties from the song "Whip It" to PeTA on a campaign for circuses to end their abusive behavior by sending their big cats to wildlife preserves. [3]
Discography[]
Solo discography
- Mine Is Not A Holy War as Jihad Jerry & The Evildoers
- "It's All Devo" (12" Vinyl and video, 2016) 31 minute record store day release limited to 1037 copies, a remix and the video done in collaboration with Italy's Phunk Investigation [4] 12" single includes a re-mix by Paul Mendez, a radio edit and two other mixes.
References[]
- ↑ SFGate.com. (2018-6-25). From 6-24 San Francisco Chronicle article. By Aidin Vaziri Pop Quiz: Devo on reuniting for Burger Boogaloo and how its weird songs became modern classics Q: Have you considered making another Devo album? GC: I would love to do that. I think Devo is more relevant than ever in some ways. I don’t feel any differently now than I did when we made our first record. I have the same point of view and the same amount of rage. Devo was truly punk. I don’t think punk is relegated to some style or rule book that says you have to have ripped T-shirts and skinny ties. Real punk is antiauthoritarian, do-it-yourself. It’s an attitude. It’s about resisting illegitimate authority and prejudice. We said we were punk scientists. We weren’t anti-intellectual. We were satirical.
- ↑ DangerousMinds.net. (2014-7-9). You Must Sip It: DEVO's Jerry Casale And His Blue-Collar Wine. Posted by Kimberly J. Bright.
- ↑ People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA). Drop That Whip: Devo Gets Behind Push to Free Big Cats From Circuses by Craig Shapiro. March 3, 2016 press release. Says the band: “As Ringling Bros. relies on the fear of whips to force lions and tigers to perform, Devo is pleased to make a grant to PETA from the royalties of ‘Whip It’ for their campaign to free big cats from this abuse. We hope that all circuses will continue to evolve by spotlighting human creativity rather than degrading animals.”
- ↑ archive.org. dangerousminds.net. 2016-4-7. "It's All Devo! New Video From Devolution's Mutant Mastermind Gerald Casale-A DM Premiere" Posted by Ron Kretsch.
