NPR Tiny Desk Concerts: Season 2022
Season 15 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts Season 14.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 15 Progress Shield
Turnstile (Home) Concert
Jan 5, 2022 · 17 min
At the drummer's house in Baltimore, Turnstile's high-energy hardcore is surrounded by stuffed animals, presumably pogoing and windmilling in your imagination.
esperanza spalding (Home) Concert
Jan 7, 2022 · 21 min
spalding and the Loving presences play a spirit-nourishing Tiny Desk home concert featuring selections from her Songwrights Apothecary Lab, (S.A.L.) project.
Mon Laferte (Home) Concert
Jan 12, 2022 · 18 min
The Chilean vocalist and her orchestra's combination of Mexican folkloric and European chamber music make for a musical and visual treat.
Cordae (Home) Concert
Jan 14, 2022 · 21 min
The DMV-bred emcee's Tiny Desk home concert is a charismatic combo of fan favorites and cuts from his new album, From a Birds Eye View.
Jake Xerxes Fussell (Home) Concert
Jan 25, 2022 · 17 min
From a cozy home in Pittsboro, N.C., the singer and guitarist breathes new life into old, obscure folk songs.
ADG7: Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2022
Jan 27, 2022 · 17 min
What happens when a pop band takes inspiration from Korea's sacred, shamanic ritual music? Watch to find out.
Bedouin Burger: Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2022
Jan 27, 2022 · 16 min
The Middle Eastern duo's music marries traditional Arab sounds of magam, religious songs of ancient Syria, jazz, and slick pop hooks.
Suistamon Sähkö: Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2022
Jan 27, 2022 · 16 min
You simply have to watch this band to believe it — especially the transfixing accordion.
Son Rompe Pera: Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2022
Jan 28, 2022 · 19 min
Skater vibes, literally. Watch the Mexico City band perform its blend of garage, marimba and cumbia.
Northern Cree: Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2022
Jan 28, 2022 · 12 min
The Canadian powwow and round dance act perform a meditative set for globalFEST.
Kombilesa Mí: Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2022
Jan 28, 2022 · 15 min
Hailing from the first free Black town in the Americas, Kombilesa Mí fuses the traditional sounds of Colombia with urban pop.
Tufan Derince: Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2022
Jan 29, 2022 · 18 min
Ever heard the elektro bağlama? You're about to, in this electronic update on Turkish folk music.
Kiran Ahluwalia: Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2022
Jan 29, 2022 · 19 min
Indian tradition meets blues, rock and jazz in this brilliant globalFEST performance.
Al Bilali Soudan: Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2022
Jan 29, 2022 · 18 min
The Timbuktu group bring Tamasheq music from their living room to yours.
Amber Mark (Home) Concert
Jan 31, 2022 · 17 min
In celebration of her stunning debut album, Three Dimensions Deep, the singer-songwriter and producer plays a deeply intimate Tiny Desk home concert.
Tori Amos (Home) Concert
Feb 2, 2022 · 15 min
From her state-of-the-art home studio, the beloved singer-songwriter plays selections from her 2021 album, Ocean to Ocean, as well as a fan favorite.
Fatoumata Diawara (Home) Concert
Feb 3, 2022 · 19 min
The esteemed Malian singer, songwriter, and actress delivers a riveting performance of songs from her Grammy-nominated album, Fenfo.
El DeBarge (Home) Concert
Feb 4, 2022 · 16 min
The torchbearer for the DeBarge family plays a few of his R&B standards from a cozy home studio.
Catherine Russell (Home) Concert
Feb 11, 2022 · 17 min
The celebrated jazz singer performs a selection of popular early jazz standards at the GB Juke Joint Studio.
Anthony Roth Costanzo and Justin Vivian Bond (Home) Concert
Feb 15, 2022 · 14 min
Opera and cabaret comingle when two odd bedfellows bring music by Philip Glass, The Bangles, Peter Gabriel and Christoph Willibald Gluck to a "tiny apartment" in Manhattan.
Too Short (Home) Concert
Feb 17, 2022 · 18 min
The Oakland rapper delivers a dynamic, funk-laden performance that showcases his extensive contributions to West Coast hip-hop.
Buffalo Nichols (Home) Concert
Feb 22, 2022 · 13 min
The blues singer plays a solo Tiny Desk home concert from a spare, dimly lit Austin office building.
Patti LaBelle (Home) Concert
Feb 23, 2022 · 16 min
From a backstage corner of a concert hall in Austin, Texas, the Godmother of Soul performs hits from across the many chapters of her fabulous career.
Pastor Shirley Caesar (Home) Concert
Feb 25, 2022 · 13 min
The "First Lady of Gospel Music" delivers a sampling of her vast music ministry in this Tiny Desk home Concert.
Fireboy DML (Home) Concert
Mar 3, 2022 · 11 min
The Nigerian singer-songwriter delivers "Afro-life" in a three-song Tiny Desk home concert.
Patricia Kopatchinskaja (Home) Concert
Mar 8, 2022 · 18 min
A fearless risk-taker who makes warhorses sound freshly minted, Kopatchinskaja, from her Vienna apartment, sets fire to Beethoven and offers rarely heard American music.
Abdullah Ibrahim (Home) Concert
Mar 9, 2022 · 13 min
This performance by the celebrated South African pianist and NEA Jazz Master reflects on the past and helps clarify the present.
Camilo (Home) Concert
Mar 11, 2022 · 15 min
In this sweet performance, the Colombian singer-songwriter lets the world view his fairytale life in full bloom.
Bonobo (Home) Concert
Mar 15, 2022 · 18 min
The artist and DJ performs a set that hits like a series of quietly arresting lullabies in a Nashville warehouse with a full band, featuring Jordan Rakei and Hundred Waters' Nicole
Daniel Hope (Home) Concert
Mar 17, 2022 · 21 min
Watch violinist Daniel Hope play Beethoven from the composer's own birth house in Bonn, Germany.
Tiny Desk Meets SXSW: Yard Act
Mar 21, 2022 · 19 min
The Leeds band perform a wry and compelling five-song set from a club's green room.
Tiny Desk Meets SXSW: KAINA
Mar 22, 2022 · 14 min
The Chicago singer channels casita-born energy into a performance alongside a crew of close collaborators.
Tiny Desk Meets SXSW: Pom Pom Squad
Mar 23, 2022 · 17 min
Led by Mia Berrin's bitterly romantic songwriting, the band performs songs that bring a much-needed dose of silliness to self-serious grunge and punk.
Tiny Desk Meets SXSW: Maxo Kream
Mar 24, 2022 · 17 min
Backed by a live band, the Houston rapper performs a set that highlights the incredibly complex puzzle of his life.
Madi Diaz (Home) Concert
Mar 28, 2022 · 16 min
In her Tiny Desk (home) concert, Madi Diaz's music has never sounded richer or more radiant.
Los Rivera Destino (Home) Concert
Mar 30, 2022 · 19 min
The comedic Puerto Rican trio delivers a visual and lyrical treat of a performance.
Maren Morris (Home) Concert
Apr 4, 2022 · 12 min
In this four-song set, the country artist delivers her songs with clear-eyed passion.
Leif Ove Andsnes (Home) Concert
Apr 8, 2022 · 19 min
Hear the award-winning pianist offer two sides of Mozart's genius from inside the composer's own home in Vienna.
The Linda Lindas (Home) Concert
Apr 11, 2022 · 15 min
After going viral just a year ago, the teen punk band returns to "blow the roof off" the library.
Brittany Davis (Home) Concert
Apr 13, 2022 · 18 min
The Seattle musician and their hard-hitting band fuse rock, soul, hip-hop, pop and R&B for songs that teem with insights about identity, injustice and power.
mehro (Home) Concert
Apr 14, 2022 · 14 min
Watch an intimate, stunning performance from the California singer-songwriter who embraces well-worn emotions with grace and beauty.
Samora Pinderhughes (Home) Concert
Apr 15, 2022 · 20 min
Samora Pinderhughes delivers a vulnerable and intimate performance from his exhibition "The Healing Project."
Currensy (Home) Concert
Apr 20, 2022 · 16 min
The New Orleans rapper gives a performance that features three key elements that make him who he is: cars, weed and, of course, music.
S. Carey (Home) Concert
Apr 21, 2022 · 17 min
The artist performs four songs surrounded by household appliances and a handful of his closest collaborators.
Feid (Home) Concert
Apr 22, 2022 · 16 min
The Colombian artist utilizes his full 15-minute set to depict an artistic and intentional musical image of his home and its rich sonic diversity.
A Strange Loop (Home) Concert
Apr 26, 2022 · 20 min
The cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical cram into a booth at a New York institution for this whirlwind of a performance.
Roger Eno (Home) Concert
Apr 27, 2022 · 17 min
Gentle music from the bucolic English countryside pervades this tranquil Tiny Desk (home) concert by Roger Eno, with a special appearance by his two daughters.
Thee Sinseers (Home) Concert
May 2, 2022 · 16 min
The California band The Sinseers play a passionate and retro four-song set in this Tiny Desk (home) concert.
Ron Carter (Home) Concert
May 4, 2022 · 9 min
Watch the legendary jazz bassist and members of his trio perform from The Blue Note's prestigious stage.
Little Shop of Horrors (Home) Concert
May 6, 2022 · 22 min
Composer Alan Menken joins the cast of the off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary.
Aoife O'Donovan (Home) Concert
May 9, 2022 · 18 min
The singer-songwriter assembled her band at a New Hampshire bookstore for a set of warm folk-pop songs.
ARC Ensemble (Home) Concert
May 11, 2022 · 15 min
Musicians from Canada's Royal Conservatory in Toronto introduce the spirited and overlooked music of Ukrainian composer Dmitri Klebanov.
Buffy Sainte-Marie (Home) Concert
May 12, 2022 · 15 min
Buffy Sainte-Marie has always been a wandering soul with a fierce sense of direction. Watch her and her touring band perform four songs from across her long, innovative career.
Fontaines D.C. (Home) Concert
May 17, 2022 · 18 min
Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. delivers a four-song set from Chicago's Irish American Heritage Center.
IDK (Home) Concert
May 18, 2022 · 15 min
The rapper gives a captivating, cool performance from his Los Angeles home for an audience of neighbors and friends.
pH-1, Mndsgn and Audrey Nuna: AAPI Heritage Month Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
May 20, 2022 · 13 min
The Tiny Desk is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month withperformances from pH-1, Mndsgn and Audrey Nuna.
Ada Lea (Home) Concert
May 24, 2022 · 17 min
In her Tiny Desk (home) concert, Ada Lea performs four sharply detailed and dreamy songs.
Svaneborg Kardyb (Home) Concert
May 25, 2022 · 19 min
The Danish jazz duo perform an untraditional four-song set from the countryside in Djursland, Denmark.
Alisa Amador: 2022 Tiny Desk Contest Winner
May 31, 2022 · 21 min
This year's Tiny Desk Contest winner performed the first Tiny Desk concert with an audience in over 800 days. It was a joyful, moving set from a captivating artist.
Adekunle Gold (Home) Concert
Jun 2, 2022 · 15 min
AG is ready for takeoff. Watch a live set from the Nigerian singer-songwriter and his band inside a faux airport terminal in Los Angeles.
James Francies (Home) Concert
Jun 3, 2022 · 19 min
James Francies delivers a poignant and powerful Tiny Desk (home) concert.
Naira Marley (Home) Concert
Jun 8, 2022 · 12 min
The celebrated Afrobeat star performs an upbeat Tiny Desk (home) concert including several songs from his debut album.
FKA twigs (Home) Concert
Jun 10, 2022 · 16 min
In the hallowed halls of London's St. Matthias Church, the innovative musician performs a cathartic set, including her new song "killer."
Larry June (Home) Concert
Jun 16, 2022 · 13 min
Larry June is the indie-rap hustle personified. Though the Bay Area emcee has a prodigious output, his (home) concert reflects the comfortable, laid-back tone of his records.
Ravyn Lenae
Jun 22, 2022 · 16 min
The genre-melding R&B artist Ravyn Lenae brings a funky, futuristic set to the Tiny Desk.
Maverick City Music
Jun 23, 2022 · 19 min
The contemporary worship music collective performs behind the Tiny Desk, featuring a special appearance by gospel legend Kirk Franklin.
Monica (Home) Concert
Jun 24, 2022 · 17 min
Monica delivers a vibrant vocal masterclass in this Tiny Desk (home) concert that spans decades.
J'Nai Bridges (Home) Concert
Jun 27, 2022 · 18 min
The Grammy Award-winning opera singer performs a classical, jazz and gospel influenced set.
Denzel Curry
Jun 29, 2022 · 20 min
From the moment the versatile emcee arrived at the Tiny Desk, the vibes were right. Watch a six-song set from Curry and a 10-piece live band.
Usher
Jun 30, 2022 · 25 min
The R&B goliath caps off our Black Music Month celebration, highlighting a catalog chock-full of hits spanning 25 years.
Essential Voices USA
Jul 1, 2022 · 18 min
Watch a world premiere performance of choral songs built on texts from important Washington women, from Kamala Harris and Condoleezza Rice to Eleanor Roosevelt, Elena Kagan and Abi
Maylee Todd (Home) Concert
Jul 6, 2022 · 17 min
Maylee Todd's sci-fi performance includes an appearance from the first digital avatar to perform a Tiny Desk concert.
FKJ (Home) Concert
Jul 7, 2022 · 18 min
This performance from the French producer and multi-instrumentalist has all the shivers of ASMR with all the emotive joy of a warehouse electronic fête.
Belle and Sebastian
Jul 8, 2022 · 17 min
The band from Glasgow gives a charming, magnificent performance of songs from its new album, plus a classic tune from If You're Feeling Sinister.
Animal Collective (Home) Concert
Jul 12, 2022 · 16 min
The band Animal Collective performs a transfixing, unpredictable concert at MASS MoCA.
Curse Of Lono (Home) Concert
Jul 14, 2022 · 14 min
The band, led by singer and songwriter Felix Bechtolsheimer, performs dark but beautiful songs from its evocative 2022 album People In Cars.
Ludovico Einaudi
Jul 15, 2022 · 21 min
The Italian pianist and composer brings his emotional and reflective music to the Tiny Desk.
Mivos Quartet
Jul 19, 2022 · 17 min
The Mivos Quartet offers a new, colorful piece by Henry Threadgill and music by Robert Honstein inspired by the shimmering light at the Arctic Circle.
Big Thief (Home) Concert
Jul 20, 2022 · 19 min
The band plays a comfortable, playful set — including an unreleased song — from a house in Connecticut.
Pigeon Pit
Jul 28, 2022 · 16 min
The folk-punk unit performs hopeful, shout-alongable songs about seeking freedom in the face of tyranny, exhaustion and everyday nonsense.
Madison Cunningham
Aug 3, 2022 · 20 min
The singer-songwriter performs a selection of tracks from her forthcoming album, Revealer, that are alive with new sensations.
Regina Spektor
Aug 5, 2022 · 24 min
Spektor performs songs filled with truth and whimsy from her astonishing new record, plus some old favorites.
DOMi & JD BECK
Aug 10, 2022 · 17 min
The jazz duo known for dazzling, brilliant live performances delivered at the Tiny Desk, with a set of songs from its debut album.
SFJAZZ Collective (Home) Concert
Aug 11, 2022 · 17 min
The talented cohort of jazz artists perform a selection of songs that reflect on isolation, social upheaval and hope.
Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine
Aug 12, 2022 · 17 min
The two Tiny Desk veterans bring a spirit of serious fun to each other's songs.
ADG7
Aug 19, 2022 · 17 min
The nine-piece band filled the room with joy and a sound that's unique in Tiny Desk history, mixing shamanistic ritual sounds with Korean folk songs.
Endea Owens and The Cookout
Aug 29, 2022 · 20 min
The bassist and her band The Cookout perform a joyful, head-bobbing set of masterful jazz.
Isaiah J. Thompson Quartet
Aug 31, 2022 · 20 min
Isaiah J. Thompson's compositions combine jazz's past and present to paint a beautiful portrait of its future.
SIX The Musical
Sep 1, 2022 · 20 min
The Queens of the musical SIX reign over the Tiny Desk, enrapturing the audience of NPR staffers assembled.
Juilliard Jazz Ensemble
Sep 2, 2022 · 15 min
The ensemble, composed of current students in Juilliard's jazz studies program, gives a performance that embodies a spirit of community and collaboration.
Randall Goosby
Sep 6, 2022 · 19 min
The young rising violin star not only makes his instrument sing, he offers music by composers of color.
JID
Sep 8, 2022 · 22 min
The East Atlanta emcee brings a serious attention to detail to this stripped-down performance of tracks from his new album plus some earlier career-defining songs.
Angélique Kidjo
Sep 12, 2022 · 20 min
The inspiring Angélique Kidjo graces the Tiny Desk for our 1,000th concert.
Allison Russell
Sep 14, 2022 · 23 min
Russell and her talented band embody healing community; watch a performance of songs from her astounding, unclassifiable album Outside Child.
Omar Apollo
Sep 15, 2022 · 18 min
To kick off our Latinx Heritage Month celebration, Omar Apollo brings a mariachi band and a communal spirit to the Tiny Desk.
Carin León (Home) Concert
Sep 19, 2022 · 15 min
A four song performance from the Mexican Regional artist captures a society in transition.
Girl Ultra
Sep 21, 2022 · 18 min
The music of Mariana de Miguel is always changing — and her intimate, simmering El Tiny performance is an effortless flash of all she's capable of.
Trueno (Home) Concert
Sep 27, 2022 · 15 min
The Argentinian rapper performs a set that feels like a meditation on the music and communities that have shaped him.
Jessie Reyez
Sep 30, 2022 · 16 min
The Colombian-Canadian singer rearranges tracks from her new album and performs them with the assuredness of a true reina harnessing her vulnerability on stage.
Susana Baca (Home) Concert
Oct 5, 2022 · 16 min
The Peruvian musician gives an intimate El Tiny performance befitting her status as a curator of folklore and culture of the highest order.
Carla Morrison
Oct 7, 2022 · 23 min
The Mexican singer-songwriter gives a mesmerizing and emotional El Tiny performance.
Tokischa
Oct 12, 2022 · 17 min
The Dominican musician reworks her songs in a melange of Latin American and Caribbean genres, subverting expectations and foregrounding unfiltered expression.
Farruko
Oct 14, 2022 · 15 min
At his Tiny Desk concert, the rapper Farruko adapts his signature flow for a far more intimate setting.
Joyce Wrice
Oct 18, 2022 · 17 min
Clad in white and backed by a six-piece band in all black, the effervescent R&B powerhouse delivered a set designed to make it difficult for anyone within earshot to keep still.
Leyla McCalla
Oct 20, 2022 · 22 min
Drawing from her new album Breaking the Thermometer, Leyla McCalla and her band explore the weight of memory in songs deeply immersed in the rhythms, sounds and history of Haiti.
The Crossing
Oct 24, 2022 · 15 min
Hear what's been called "America's most astonishing choir" sing brand new music by Shara Nova that looks at how we handle difficult emotions.
S.G. Goodman
Oct 26, 2022 · 16 min
In Goodman's songs, music is a route to both survival and transcendence. Watch her perform three powerful tracks that confront grief and stump for understanding.
Symba
Oct 28, 2022 · 18 min
The Bay Area rapper balances high-octane wordplay with crisp scene-setting in his Tiny Desk performance.
King Princess
Nov 2, 2022 · 14 min
With her self-assuredness on full display, King Princess performs three stripped-down songs that mix love, lust and playful self-deprecation.
NoSo
Nov 4, 2022 · 15 min
The former Tiny Desk Contest entrant performs three sentimental, compassionate songs from their debut album.
Lizzy McAlpine
Nov 8, 2022 · 17 min
Lizzy McAlpine produces a quiet, cinematic set with just a few guitars and expressive vocal harmonies.
Ezra Collective
Nov 10, 2022 · 16 min
The London-based group brought intensity and energy to its long-awaited set behind the Tiny Desk.
The Lion King
Nov 11, 2022 · 19 min
The cast and musicians of The Lion King on Broadway spent their day off behind the Tiny Desk to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason
Nov 15, 2022 · 14 min
Watch the rising young cellist transform a Bob Marley classic, explore brand new preludes and unspool a weepy Welsh ballad.
Horace Andy (Home) Concert
Nov 18, 2022 · 14 min
Horace Andy performs in his signature raspy, gruff tenor from the living room of producer Adrian Sherwood.
Santigold
Nov 21, 2022 · 22 min
Santigold performs her genre-straddling R&B and electro-pop in a set that returns to her DIY, punk roots.
beabadoobee
Nov 29, 2022 · 15 min
The songwriter's grungy dream-pop sound and sweet, sincere voice are perfectly suited to the Tiny Desk.
The A's
Dec 1, 2022 · 18 min
The duo, featuring Sylvan Esso's Amelia Meath and Daughter of Swords' Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, gives a playful, fun-filled performance of sublime songs.
RM of BTS (Home) Concert
Dec 2, 2022 · 18 min
The K-pop superstar and BTS member performs a set of solo material in front of a very impressive replica of the Tiny Desk.
Stromae
Dec 5, 2022 · 16 min
The Belgian superstar's Tiny Desk is a portrait of a world-class showman at the height of his powers.
Alex G
Dec 7, 2022 · 14 min
The cult-beloved Philly singer-songwriter plays a handful of stripped-down songs from across his vast discography, including songs from this year's God Save The Animals.
Eliane Elias
Dec 9, 2022 · 18 min
One of the most respected names in Latin jazz gives a commanding performance behind the Tiny Desk.
The Mavericks
Dec 12, 2022 · 15 min
The band is beloved for its live shows and masterful at bringing new fans into its fold — and its Tiny Desk gives us all a good idea of how it weaves that magic.
Westside Boogie
Dec 14, 2022 · 19 min
The Compton poet's vulnerable music required minimal adjustment to fit into our space.