Japanese Plastic Pomp

Plastic Japanese wig worn on DEVO's tour of Japan in 2008.
Found by Robert Miltenberg of Mutato Muzika during a trip to Japan a few months earlier. Robert emailed me the explanation below.

Being a member of the Band's "family" for some time, I am quite familiar with their penchant for costume as commentary. Last December I was in Tokyo on business. I was on Harujuku Street enjoying the radical fashions of the young girls who love to put on the most amazing colorful displays of Japanese female inventiveness and preen up and down the lanes reveling in their bohemian fashion splendor. Along that colorful path is the Japanese equivalent to our "99cents Only" stores call the "100-yen store." A yen is worth one US penny. These stores beat our stores all to shame. As I explored the six floors of items this store has for under 100 yens, I came across plastic Japanese "top knot" head masks--not unlike DEVO's classic "Kennedy Pompadours" they made and sported in the early 80's. Thinking there might be a time soon when the guys might return to Japan - I bought six of the top knots for the guys to consider wearing. When I returned I showed them to both Jerry and Mark who laughed and agreed it would be fun to wear them when they played Japan again. So when the guys agreed to do Sonic Summer and then the Shibuya Ax Theatre with Polysics in Tokyo--I brought the topknots with us to Japan and on August 11th-(Bob 1's birthday)--the guys came out on stage for their encores wearing the top knots--much to the roar of the crowd, appreciating the Band's comic sense of tribute--back to their audience. For my part I'm proud to say I am responsible for actually adding something--if only for a second--to the classic performance of a legendary Band. Not what I would call a "crowning" achievement--but then again, some would.