NPR Tiny Desk Concerts 2008
★ 7.0/10 · 10 votes NR 19 seasons · 1786 eps Returning Series
Quick answer
What is NPR Tiny Desk Concerts?
NPR Tiny Desk Concerts is a television series featuring intimate musical performances recorded live at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. The series began in 2008 and has since grown to include more than 1,100 concerts as of August 2024.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 2008
- Status
- Returning Series
- Episodes
- 1,786
- First aired
- Apr 22, 2008
- Last aired
- Jun 29, 2026
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- NPR
- Updated
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 1,786 episodes and an average 45-minute runtime.
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Overview
NPR Tiny Desk Concerts is a television series featuring intimate musical performances recorded live at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. The series began in 2008 and has since grown to include more than 1,100 concerts as of August 2024. These performances take place in a small office space at NPR in Washington, D.C. The series hosts a diverse range of musicians, from large bands like Dr. Dog, who adapt their loud and chaotic sound to the confined area, to unique acts such as 31 Minutos, which featured a guitar-playing puppet. Artists often perform fan favorites and debut new material during their sessions. Following a period of pandemic-related restrictions, the series resumed hosting audiences at the desk in 2022 with a performance by contest winner Alisa Amador. The concerts are distributed online, where the series maintains a significant viewership, averaging 45 million views per month on YouTube. The archive of these performances is available to the public through the official NPR Music channel.
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Should you watch it?
“Experience intimate live musical performances recorded directly at the desk of host Bob Boilen.”
Reasons to watch
- stripped-back performances
- diverse artist selection
Keep in mind
- limited physical space
- minimal production value
Watch it if you enjoy discovering live music in a raw and personal setting.
The series features musical performances suitable for general audiences.
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Cast
Episode guide
Season 1 · 10 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide →- E1 Laura Gibson Apr 22, 2008
- E2 Vic Chesnutt Jun 5, 2008
- E3 Sam Phillips Jun 25, 2008
- E4 Sera Cahoone Jul 10, 2008
- E5 Thao Nguyen Sep 4, 2008
- E6 Lambchop's Kurt Wagner Oct 8, 2008
- E7 Dr. Dog Oct 20, 2008
- E8 Jim White Nov 7, 2008
- E9 Shearwater Nov 14, 2008
- E10 Dave Dondero Dec 30, 2008
Season 2 · 30 episodes
- E1 Woven Hand Jan 7, 2009
- E2 Super XX Man Jan 27, 2009
- E3 Tom Jones Mar 2, 2009
- E4 Horse Feathers May 8, 2009
- E5 Benjy Ferree May 29, 2009
- E6 Great Lake Swimmers Jun 8, 2009
- E7 Jason Vieaux Jun 15, 2009
- E8 The Avett Brothers Jun 22, 2009
- E9 Maria Taylor Jun 29, 2009
- E10 Julie Doiron Jul 6, 2009
- E11 Bill Callahan Jul 13, 2009
- E12 Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy Jul 20, 2009
- E13 Sarah Siskind Jul 27, 2009
- E14 The Swell Season Aug 10, 2009
- E15 Dark Meat Aug 24, 2009
- E16 The Tallest Man On Earth Sep 14, 2009
- E17 Telekinesis Sep 21, 2009
- E18 Raphael Saadiq Sep 28, 2009
- E19 John Vanderslice Oct 4, 2009
- E20 Rodrigo y Gabriela Oct 10, 2009
- E21 Ralph Stanley Oct 19, 2009
- E22 Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros Oct 26, 2009
- E23 Sondre Lerche Nov 2, 2009
- E24 K'naan Nov 9, 2009
- E25 Bowerbirds Nov 16, 2009
- E26 Zee Avi Nov 23, 2009
- E27 Andrew W.K. Nov 30, 2009
- E28 Lightning Dust Dec 7, 2009
- E29 Fanfarlo Dec 16, 2009
- E30 Australian Chamber Orchestra Dec 21, 2009
Season 3 · 60 episodes
- E1 The Mountain Goats Jan 3, 2010
- E2 Adam Arcuragi Jan 10, 2010
- E3 The Low Anthem Jan 20, 2010
- E4 Brooklyn Rider Jan 26, 2010
- E5 Dave Rawlings Machine With Gillian Welch Feb 1, 2010
- E6 Edmar Castaneda Feb 8, 2010
- E7 Abaji Feb 15, 2010
- E8 Alec Ounsworth Feb 22, 2010
- E9 Laura Veirs Mar 1, 2010
- E10 Omara Portuondo Mar 8, 2010
- E11 The Antlers Mar 15, 2010
- E12 Wye Oak Mar 29, 2010
- E13 Jakob Dylan Apr 2, 2010
- E14 Regina Carter Apr 11, 2010
- E15 David Russell Apr 19, 2010
- E16 Lionel Loueke Apr 26, 2010
- E17 Fredrik May 3, 2010
- E18 Moby And Kelli Scarr May 4, 2010
- E19 Tarrus Riley May 11, 2010
- E20 Phoenix May 18, 2010
- E21 Bettye LaVette May 21, 2010
- E22 Roger McGuinn With Amy Tan, Dave Barry And More: Authors At The Tiny Desk Jun 1, 2010
- E23 Zuill Bailey Jun 4, 2010
- E24 The Mynabirds Jun 21, 2010
- E25 'Weird Al' Yankovic Jun 22, 2010
- E26 Gogol Bordello Jun 28, 2010
- E27 Los Campesinos! Jul 5, 2010
- E28 Jimmy Cliff Jul 12, 2010
- E29 Villagers Jul 19, 2010
- E30 Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Zakir Hussain Jul 26, 2010
- E31 The Holmes Brothers Aug 2, 2010
- E32 Mavis Staples Aug 9, 2010
- E33 Frazey Ford Aug 15, 2010
- E34 Peter Wolf Crier Aug 17, 2010
- E35 Lawrence Arabia Aug 23, 2010
- E36 Brian Courtney Wilson Aug 25, 2010
- E37 Ana Tijoux Aug 30, 2010
- E38 The Nels Cline Singers Sep 7, 2010
- E39 Seu Jorge Sep 13, 2010
- E40 Alisa Weilerstein Sep 15, 2010
- E41 Eef Barzelay Of Clem Snide Sep 20, 2010
- E42 Lost In The Trees Sep 23, 2010
- E43 Tom Tom Club Oct 6, 2010
- E44 Lower Dens Oct 10, 2010
- E45 Hey Marseilles Oct 17, 2010
- E46 Stile Antico Oct 25, 2010
- E47 Nick Lowe Nov 1, 2010
- E48 Rana Santacruz Nov 2, 2010
- E49 Black Dub Nov 8, 2010
- E50 Los Lobos Nov 10, 2010
- E51 Sharon Van Etten Nov 14, 2010
- E52 The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger Nov 17, 2010
- E53 Olof Arnalds Nov 22, 2010
- E54 Khaira Arby Nov 29, 2010
- E55 Buke And Gass Dec 6, 2010
- E56 Yolanda Kondonassis Dec 8, 2010
- E57 The Red River Dec 13, 2010
- E58 The Heligoats Dec 15, 2010
- E59 Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O Dec 20, 2010
- E60 Luisa Maita Dec 26, 2010
Season 4 · 83 episodes
- E1 Abigail Washburn Jan 3, 2011
- E2 Gyptian Jan 5, 2011
- E3 David Wax Museum Jan 9, 2011
- E4 Ballake Sissoko And Vincent Segal Jan 17, 2011
- E5 Iron And Wine Jan 21, 2011
- E6 Basia Bulat Jan 24, 2011
- E7 Richard Thompson Feb 1, 2011
- E8 Stars Feb 3, 2011
- E9 Ivan And Alyosha Feb 7, 2011
- E10 Esperanza Spalding Feb 12, 2011
- E11 Turtle Island Quartet Feb 16, 2011
- E12 Adele Feb 17, 2011
- E13 Local Natives Feb 21, 2011
- E14 Damien Jurado Feb 28, 2011
- E15 Steve Riley And The Mamou Playboys Mar 7, 2011
- E16 Lizz Wright Mar 14, 2011
- E17 Nellie McKay Apr 4, 2011
- E18 Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars Apr 6, 2011
- E19 Josh Ritter Apr 11, 2011
- E20 Otis Taylor Apr 13, 2011
- E21 Mount Kimbie Apr 18, 2011
- E22 Pokey LaFarge Apr 20, 2011
- E23 Steve Earle Apr 25, 2011
- E24 Wu Man Apr 27, 2011
- E25 Booker T. Jones May 2, 2011
- E26 Julieta Venegas May 9, 2011
- E27 Neil Innes May 11, 2011
- E28 Future Islands May 16, 2011
- E29 Low May 22, 2011
- E30 Jackie Evancho May 23, 2011
- E31 The Kopecky Family Band Jun 6, 2011
- E32 The Black Angels Jun 8, 2011
- E33 Chris Thile And Michael Daves Jun 13, 2011
- E34 Charlie Siem Jun 15, 2011
- E35 The Decemberists Jun 20, 2011
- E36 YACHT Jun 22, 2011
- E37 The Civil Wars Jun 27, 2011
- E38 Milos Jun 30, 2011
- E39 The Blind Boys Of Alabama Jul 5, 2011
- E40 Julian Lage Trio Jul 7, 2011
- E41 Ben Sollee Jul 11, 2011
- E42 Joe Boyd And Robyn Hitchcock Jul 18, 2011
- E43 Y La Bamba Jul 21, 2011
- E44 Givers Jul 24, 2011
- E45 They Might Be Giants Jul 28, 2011
- E46 Amanda Shires Aug 3, 2011
- E47 Noah And The Whale Aug 10, 2011
- E48 Paul Jacobs Aug 12, 2011
- E49 Gaby Moreno Aug 15, 2011
- E50 Other Lives Aug 18, 2011
- E51 James Vincent McMorrow Aug 25, 2011
- E52 CALLmeKAT Aug 29, 2011
- E53 Phosphorescent Sep 1, 2011
- E54 King Creosote And Jon Hopkins Sep 4, 2011
- E55 Foster The People Sep 9, 2011
- E56 Diego Garcia Sep 12, 2011
- E57 Sean Rowe Sep 16, 2011
- E58 Jeremy Messersmith Sep 19, 2011
- E59 Beirut Sep 21, 2011
- E60 Jenny Lin Sep 26, 2011
- E61 The Klezmatics Sep 28, 2011
- E62 Trombone Shorty Sep 29, 2011
- E63 Mates Of State Oct 5, 2011
- E64 Fountains Of Wayne Oct 6, 2011
- E65 JEFF The Brotherhood Oct 8, 2011
- E66 Grouplove Oct 11, 2011
- E67 Chris Bathgate Oct 14, 2011
- E68 Wilco Oct 17, 2011
- E69 Hilary Hahn Oct 21, 2011
- E70 Ben Williams And Sound Effect Oct 24, 2011
- E71 Lisa Hannigan Oct 29, 2011
- E72 Juanes Nov 3, 2011
- E73 Jens Lekman Nov 7, 2011
- E74 Marketa Irglova Nov 10, 2011
- E75 Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile And Stuart Duncan Nov 17, 2011
- E76 Joe Henry Nov 21, 2011
- E77 Hospital Ships Nov 23, 2011
- E78 Gabriel Kahane Nov 26, 2011
- E79 tUnE-yArDs Dec 1, 2011
- E80 I Wayne Dec 12, 2011
- E81 Gem Club Dec 16, 2011
- E82 The Music Tapes Dec 20, 2011
- E83 Maria Volonte Dec 27, 2011
Season 5 · 77 episodes
- E1 Tinariwen Jan 5, 2012
- E2 Le Butcherettes Jan 9, 2012
- E3 Screaming Females Jan 17, 2012
- E4 Jake Schepps' Expedition Quartet Jan 19, 2012
- E5 Glenn Jones Jan 23, 2012
- E6 Anna Calvi Jan 26, 2012
- E7 Girl In A Coma Jan 30, 2012
- E8 Bill Frisell Feb 3, 2012
- E9 The Creole Choir Of Cuba Feb 6, 2012
- E10 Craig Finn Feb 9, 2012
- E11 Red Baraat Feb 14, 2012
- E12 Joan Soriano Feb 16, 2012
- E13 Joyce El Khoury And Brian Jagde Feb 20, 2012
- E14 The Cranberries Feb 23, 2012
- E15 Milagres Feb 27, 2012
- E16 Pistolera Mar 1, 2012
- E17 Laura Gibson Mar 5, 2012
- E18 Rudresh Mahanthappa Mar 8, 2012
- E19 Real Estate Mar 12, 2012
- E20 Kayhan Kalhor Mar 24, 2012
- E21 First Aid Kit Mar 28, 2012
- E22 So Percussion Apr 2, 2012
- E23 Kathleen Edwards Apr 5, 2012
- E24 Caveman Apr 10, 2012
- E25 Novalima Apr 12, 2012
- E26 Soweto Gospel Choir Apr 16, 2012
- E27 Jolie Holland Apr 23, 2012
- E28 Cowboy Junkies Apr 26, 2012
- E29 Hospitality Apr 30, 2012
- E30 Nathan Salsburg May 3, 2012
- E31 Endangered Blood May 7, 2012
- E32 Kishi Bashi May 10, 2012
- E33 Pedro Soler And Gaspar Claus May 14, 2012
- E34 Chuck Brown May 16, 2012
- E35 Arborea May 17, 2012
- E36 Yann Tiersen May 21, 2012
- E37 Canadian Brass May 26, 2012
- E38 Patrick Watson May 31, 2012
- E39 Kelly Hogan Jun 4, 2012
- E40 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom Jun 7, 2012
- E41 Daniel Johnston Jun 11, 2012
- E42 Glen Hansard Jun 17, 2012
- E43 Mariachi El Bronx Jun 21, 2012
- E44 Reggie Watts Jun 25, 2012
- E45 Exitmusic Jul 2, 2012
- E46 Brandi Carlile Jul 9, 2012
- E47 Laura Marling Jul 12, 2012
- E48 Souad Massi Jul 15, 2012
- E49 The Milk Carton Kids Jul 16, 2012
- E50 Janet Feder Jul 22, 2012
- E51 The Walkmen Jul 29, 2012
- E52 Beth Orton Aug 6, 2012
- E53 The Zombies Aug 12, 2012
- E54 Rufus Wainwright Aug 20, 2012
- E55 Renaud Garcia-Fons Aug 27, 2012
- E56 Avi Avital Sep 10, 2012
- E57 Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft Orchestra Sep 17, 2012
- E58 Yva Las Vegass Sep 24, 2012
- E59 Kat Edmonson Oct 1, 2012
- E60 Antibalas Oct 4, 2012
- E61 Spirit Family Reunion Oct 8, 2012
- E62 Dirty Three Oct 15, 2012
- E63 Robert Cray Band Oct 22, 2012
- E64 Lord Huron Oct 25, 2012
- E65 Passion Pit Oct 29, 2012
- E66 Jason Lytle Nov 5, 2012
- E67 Flaco Jimenez Nov 12, 2012
- E68 Ben Gibbard Nov 19, 2012
- E69 Martha Wainwright Nov 26, 2012
- E70 Taken By Trees Nov 29, 2012
- E71 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Dec 3, 2012
- E72 Anaïs Mitchell Dec 6, 2012
- E73 Daniel Bachman Dec 9, 2012
- E74 Lyle Lovett Dec 10, 2012
- E75 Alt-J Dec 17, 2012
- E76 The Polyphonic Spree Dec 21, 2012
- E77 Miguel Dec 31, 2012
Frequently asked questions
What is the setting of the performances?
The concerts are recorded live at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.
Who hosts the series?
The series is hosted by Bob Boilen.
Are the performances live?
Yes, the artists perform live at the desk.
How many episodes were in the first season?
The 2008 season consisted of 10 episodes.
Does the series feature an audience?
Performances have included audiences, such as the 2022 winner's performance.