Shaboozey: Tiny Desk Concert

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk celebrates the undeniable legacy of BET. Like the network that put Black artistry first, these sets reflect the essence of Black music.

Ashley Pointer | June 25, 2026
What Virginia-bred country singer and rapper Shaboozey represents is much bigger than himself: It’s the reclamation of country music’s roots as unapologetically Black.

Returning home to the DMV to perform at the Tiny Desk for this year’s Black Music Month takeover, Shaboozey plays fan favorites and debuts new songs from his upcoming album, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.

Opening the set with the Grammy-winning “Amen,” Shaboozey brings the church into the room, buoyed by soaring background vocals. Debuting “Drunk,” his slurred, introspective delivery hits like a modern day soliloquy. Shaboozey also pays homage to his Virginia roots with “Good News,” which features fiddle players Clayton Penrose-Whitmore and Sara Watkins firing off Bill Monroe’s “Roanoke,” a pillar of bluegrass music.

Playing another song from his upcoming album, Shaboozey invites Tiny Desk alum Leon Bridges to perform the revenge-soaked “Burn It Down.” Bridges’ vocals add a soulful and delicate touch, perfectly contrasting Shaboozey’s gritty drawl. Ending the set on a high note with “Cowgirl,” the energy from the audience was palpable. Even Shaboozey had to acknowledge: “Y’all turned [The Desk] into a dive bar.”

SET LIST
“Amen”
“Drunk”
“Good News”
“Burn It Down”
“Cowgirl”

MUSICIANS
Shaboozey: vocals, guitar
Leon Bridges: vocals
Sean Watkins: guitar
Connor Sullivan: guitar
Stephen Musselman: dobro
Thomas Drayton: bass
Darren Poindexter: drums
Sara Watkins: fiddle
Clayton Penrose-Whitmore: fiddle
Sarah Jarosz: mandolin
Wes Corbett: banjo
Zenya: background vocals
Naärai: background vocals
Caleb Curry: background vocals
Special Thanks to: Drew Tubenfeld and Royce Whittaker

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Ashley Pointer
Director: Joshua Bryant
Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Editor: Maia Stern
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
Production Assistant: Dora Levite
Photographer: Vanessa Castillo
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#shaboozey #nprmusic #tinydesk

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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.

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