Category: Music

Anamaria Sayre | January 8, 2024 Singer-songwriter Kevin Kaarl applies his indie-drenched vocals with an entirely new vision at his Tiny Desk concert. Pairing folksy, trumpet rhythms with twangy banjo, the Chihuahuan artist transfigures traditional Sinaloan instrumentation into styles more recognizable among American folk bands. Opening with “Me Va a Costar,” twin brother and trumpet player Brian spins sweet harmony on the track. Transitioning to the guitar and banjo-driven, trumpet adorned “Te Quiero Tanto,” Kaarl strings together romantic melodies with endlessly rich vibratos and stunning falsetto. He switches to one of his earliest hits, the relentlessly romantic “Vámonos a Marte.” [See More…]

Josh Rogosin | December 22, 2023 My parents brought me to see a production of Sweeney Todd when I was 10; I had nightmares for weeks. That may have been the beginning of my obsession with the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. “We’re so grateful to sing Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece every single day,” Josh Groban explains at the Tiny Desk. “He was so brilliant at juxtaposing the beautiful with the horrific.” (It turns out that both Groban and I named our dogs “Sweeney Dog,” something I learned when I introduced the cast.) Expect a wave of emotions throughout this performance: [See More…]

Bobby Carter | December 18, 2023 Scarface’s Tiny Desk concert radiates with his decadeslong passion as an emcee and producer. There’s calculated intent behind every word and note of this 30-minute set and I learned that his love for golf also runs deep during our initial meeting. He was playing a round and had difficulty dividing his attention between the plan and the course. Three days before the show, amid rehearsals, I got a call from Facemob asking, “What if I brought Mike Dean?” My expectations were already high, but that final addition set the stage for something special. Mike [See More…]