NPR's Tiny Desk is celebrating Black Music Month with an all-female lineup featuring artists like Chaka Khan, SWV, Tems, Flo Milli, and Tierra Whack. This initiative, led by Series Producer Bobby Carter, aims to honor the contributions of Black female musicians across various genres and generations. The performances will run from June 3 to June 30, highlighting the rich diversity and legacy of Black music.
Ramy Youssef hosted Saturday Night Live and starred in a sketch parodying NPR's Tiny Desk concerts, featuring Bowen Yang as an intern interrupting the performance. The sketch humorously pokes fun at the iconic NPR series, with the band ultimately winning over the intern's sympathies and finishing their performance. Next week's SNL will be hosted by Kristen Wiig with musical guest Raye.
In a skit on Saturday Night Live, the show parodied NPR's Tiny Desk concert series with a segment featuring a work-obsessed NPR intern interrupting a band's performance and causing chaos, ultimately leading to the creation of a podcast titled "Beep Boop I'm Gay Now."
The LeeVees, a Jewish band known for their classic Hanukkah album "Hanukkah Rocks," performed highlights from the album on a special episode of NPR's Tiny Desk. The band, consisting of Adam Gardner and Dave Schneider, was joined by fellow musicians to deliver a festive and humorous performance. The episode featured Hanukkah-themed decorations and an array of Ashkenazi Jewish treats, adding to the joyful atmosphere. The performance serves as a reminder of the unique delights of being Jewish in America.
Nile Rodgers and Chic deliver a 30-minute Tiny Desk set featuring classics from the Chic catalog and songs co-written by Rodgers, including "Le Freak," "We Are Family," "Get Lucky," "Good Times" interpolated with "Rapper's Delight," and "Let's Dance." Rodgers also discusses his collaboration with Daft Punk on "Get Lucky" and the emotional experience of performing at Glastonbury. The performance includes audience participation, and Rodgers recently reunited with Duran Duran on their new album.
NPR is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with an 'El Tiny' takeover, featuring Latino artists on Tiny Desk. The lineup includes performances from Becky G, DannyLux, Alex Cuba, Villano Antillano, and Ivy Queen. Alt.Latino will also be producing a new series called "The Mexican Regional" to explore the rising popularity of the genre.
Students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts concert choir joined U2's Bono and The Edge for a Tiny Desk performance, featuring four songs including a reworked version of "Walk On." The two vocalists, Kirsten Holmes and Jevon Skipper, who aspire to use their talents to dip into the worlds of gospel, opera and R&B music, agreed to the performance with a few other classmates and members of the choir. The performance was a preview of U2's new album, Songs Of Surrender.
