Sub-zero temperatures outside made the Maintenance Shop in the Memorial Union the perfect getaway location for a cold winter’s night.

Music lovers in attendance at the M-Shop on Tuesday were treated to performances by Pablo, Koufax, Jennifer O’Connor, and Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band. Each band brought deep lyrics, pulsing guitar riffs and addicting rhythms.

Kevin Devine grew up in a large Irish family in Brooklyn, N.Y. As a child he was exposed to a wide range of musical genres. His mom was a fan of ’60s music, while his dad was more of a “doo-wop kinda guy,” Devine said. It was no surprise Devine started to develop a music style of his own. “I remember being seven or eight and just loving Guns N’ Roses,” he said.

Devine started playing guitar in the sixth grade and considers himself a self-taught musician. His musical idols growing up included Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam and Modest Mouse. It wasn’t until he started listening to Elliott Smith that Devine found music he was passionate about and actually wanted to play.

Devine released three albums with his previous band, The Miracle of 86, and three solo albums on independent labels before he hooked up with Capitol Records and the Goddamn Band in 2004, according to his Web site, www.kevindevine.net.

Devine’s latest album, “Put Your Ghost to Rest,” was inspired by the previous year of his life. Most of the songs have a personal feel, but Devine isn’t afraid to tackle social issues in his lyrics. He said everything happening around you has an impact on how you see the world, and the most random things can trigger a song or lyrics.

“Global warming freaks me out, and it affects how I write,” Devine said.

Dan Hansen, junior in pre-business, is an avid fan of Devine.

“I have his ‘Split the Country, Split the Street’ and ‘Put Your Ghost to Rest’ albums and both of them are fantastic,” Hansen said.

As Devine and the Goddamn Band started playing, it was obvious they liked to have fun. Between numbers, band members were constantly cracking jokes and busting into songs ranging from Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop” to The Replacements’ “Androgynous.”

Devine welcomed song requests from fans and continued to play well into the night.

He not only played songs with his band, but he also tapped into some of his solo acoustic numbers.

Steve Satterlee, entertainment programs coordinator at the Memorial Union and M-Shop adviser, said they were lucky to book such a great group of bands to perform at the M-Shop.

“We look at who’s getting a lot of play, who’s gonna be the next big thing,” Satterlee said.

“Kevin Devine is gonna be big.”

The M-Shop directors welcome return performances by several artists they book, and hope to see Devine again.

“We’re a nice venue and we treat our bands well,” Satterlee said.

Devine has performed in over 500 shows in over 12 countries since he started touring in 2003.

He says being on the road can sometimes get monotonous, but he loves what he does.

“I get to express myself in lyric and song and get paid for it,” he said.