# Tiny Desk Concerts (NPR Music) is awesome **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829 "2015-05-12T02:14:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Teach-me-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@Teach-me-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teach-me-not)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/1 "2015-05-12T02:14:44Z")
Links: [website](http://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/), [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B627337ED6F55F0) It’s a tiny idea really, but amazingly executed. The tagline describes it best: **Intimate video performances, recorded live at the desk of _All Songs Considered_ Bob Boilen**. I’ve been hooked on this for the past week or so; just wanted to share with y’all. I found lots of familiar names, playing their hits. Even better, I also discovered a number of new bands & singers that I digged. Here’s a random sampling of some acts that I have watched till now. [John Legend](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onQLAEEeta8) [Adele](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfzpYcwiUrA) [Foster The People](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMnDHUKGMWs) [T-Pain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIjXUg1s5gc) [Macklemore](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrEJmvuKSwo) [Hozier](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLgZo6Qi3Uo) [Daughter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-OoG1aGYO0) [DakhaBrakha](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsNKSbTNd5I) [The xx](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-03z36Is6M) [Punch Brothers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXE_K2Kpoqc) [Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11po9xKBsbw) [Anonymous 4 & Bruce Molsky](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWQChDfEJpI) [Typhoon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDdO60XcqPQ) [Gary Burton & Justin Lage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXjfvEcAV6w) [Billy Bragg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2OnQR6VMwU) Another awesome part of these concerts is the immediate intimacy between the performers and the audience, giving us many memorable moments. (Spoilering this list in case you want to keep the surprise.) [ul] [li] Elena’s (Daughter) “We are just completely awkward people” comment.[/li][li] Chris Thile’s (Punch Brothers) birthday cake, with a face wearing braces on it[/li][li] The story of John Legend’s ancestor being kidnapped back from freedom to slavery [/li][li] “Height night” (Typhoon)[/li][li] Billy Bragg being interrupted by a handyman working in an adjacent room[/li][/ul] I am somewhat surprised that I am discovering the tiny desk concerts after so many years. A google search found only one mention of “tiny desk concert” in SDMB. Is this really a hidden gem, or have I been living under a rock all this time? And, of course, share your favorite performances and moments. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/2 "2015-05-12T23:03:52Z")
I enjoy the ones I come across. Watching stuff like Punch Brothers - the super group of Bluegrass instrumentation - is an amazing lesson in musicianship. It’s kind of like a better episode of MTV Unplugged. ETA: Chris Thile, the mandolinist and leader for Punch Brothers, won a MacArthur Genius grant. And that mandolin he is playing is '24 Gibson F-5 worth, oh, $250,000 minimum… ---
**Author:** ![Teach-me-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@Teach-me-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teach-me-not)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/3 "2015-05-13T15:05:07Z")
Didn’t know about MTV Unplugged (have seen MTV only in passing). And thanks for the info on Thile. I liked their performance a lot. Let me check them out some more. ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/4 "2015-05-13T18:00:28Z")
[Lydia Loveless](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XyKhTwk9X8) is one that fans of alt-country shouldn’t miss. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/5 "2022-03-22T09:18:29Z")
I know this is an old thread, but I also want to say that I really enjoy these. The setting for these concerts is intimate, and quality is superb, both audio and video. A few that I really like: [The Breeders](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHMZW9kLpg0) [SsingSsing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLRxO9AmNNo) ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/6 "2022-03-22T11:59:31Z")
[Paul Weller](https://youtu.be/HaVsSRXBH78) did a nice one. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/7 "2022-03-22T12:09:24Z")
[Randy Newman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wFWR5qCB2k) did one. He’s quite a bit older compared to [his videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcADqxnQA_4) during MTV’s heyday, but still great. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/8 "2022-03-22T16:38:42Z")
[Mac Miller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrR_gm6RqCo) [Tank and the Bangas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKzobTCIRDw) [Anderson Paak](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ferZnZ0_rSM) [Gregory Porter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNJUzwBNbxo&t=42s) [The Wild Reeds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TiEO149Ydc) [Leon Bridges](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_oACPWGvM4) I have been on some Tiny Desk deep dives. There are so many great ones. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/9 "2022-03-22T16:54:05Z")
2 of my faves :- [Roy Ayers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CghK8iVUHBs) and [Tower of Power.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDksWTzZQ2c) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/10 "2022-03-23T07:41:03Z")
Gaelynn Lea [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/n6oSeODGmoQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Gaelynn Lea: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6oSeODGmoQ) Rhiannon Giddens [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/q0fIdFx3pbY/maxresdefault.jpg "Rhiannon Giddens: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0fIdFx3pbY) Meg Myers https://www.youtube.com/embed/vSMt8qbhu0w?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDvSMt8qbhu0w ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-desk-concerts-npr-music-is-awesome/719829/11 "2022-03-23T07:50:49Z")
Oh, and I don’t _think_ it’s a threadshit to mention a couple of similar concert series also on youtube - the [KEXP radio](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUh4W61bt_K6tflBpjWgnXLpyuu6EbNTW) and [Paste Studio](https://www.youtube.com/c/pastemagazine) sessions. Just as an e.g., here’s an early Skating Polly Paste session (they also have a later one) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qiSGWyt_b1A/maxresdefault.jpg "Skating Polly - Full Session - 5/18/2017 - Paste Studios - New York, NY") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSGWyt_b1A)