This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture.
Felix Contreras | June 25, 2025
Did we really squeeze the big sound of Living Colour behind the Tiny Desk? Yes, we did. And, yet, the band lost none of its intensity at a slightly lower volume.
Living Colour starts with “Cult of Personality,” the shot heard around the world, but spends the rest of the set celebrating 35 years of Time’s Up. The album planted a flag for Black rock bands inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Motown and hardcore-punk pioneers Bad Brains, which gets a heartfelt shout out here before “Time’s Up.” Guitarist Vernon Reid’s sonic bag of tricks is on full display as are the deep grooves of drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish. Corey Glover’s voice cuts through it all.
Will the smaller setting inspire the band to trade in its equipment truck for a van and smaller amps? Perhaps, but this performance shows that, at any sound level, Living Colour commands attention and respect for its past and present.
SET LIST
“Cult of Personality”
“Pride”
“Love Rears Its Ugly Head”
“Time’s Up”
“Solace of You”
MUSICIANS
Corey Glover: vocals
Vernon Reid: guitar, background vocals
Doug Wimbish: bass, background vocals
Will Calhoun: drums
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Dora Levite
Photographer: Grace Raver
Tiny Desk Team: Lars Gotrich, Ashley Pointer
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#livingcolour #nprmusic #tinydesk
NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts is a popular video series featuring live, intimate music performances by diverse artists, from major stars to up-and-coming musicians, recorded in the small workspace of Bob Boilen’s NPR office in Washington, D.C.brought to you by SloppBoxx.Com.
They still got it!
🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃
It’s a great song. So meaningful!
Doug Wimbush – man what an underrated bassplayer.
SORRY DUDE DONT PLAY LIKE MUZZ
Are we not going to talk about the Cheetos?
I was fortunate enough to see them in 1989 at a tiny little venue in Salt Lake City, UT called The Speedway Cafe. They blew the roof off that place, I was stunned and amazed at their talent, one the best concerts I’ve ever seen.
Amazing!
A group that was way before its time! Respect LIVING COLOUR!