One\nof the best parts of enjoying music is getting to experience your favorite\nartist playing a live show. But going to a concert is usually not only\nexpensive, but oftentimes geographically difficult. And that\u2019s where the\nInternet comes in to save the day. There are plenty of professionally shot and\nhomemade YouTube videos out there to satiate the desire to see a musician\nperform, but some of the best ones come from a surprising source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although NPR is primarily known for its sometimes stuffy radio news programming, their music division hosts and makes videos of small concerts played in the venue of the D.C. NPR offices. They\u2019re called \u201cTiny Desk Concerts\u201d, and a quick search on YouTube will show you a nice sampling of the plethora of bands and musicians that have graced the desk. From old favorites to surprising new discoveries–Tiny Desk Concerts provide a wonderful way to enjoy music, no matter what you\u2019re looking for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From\nthe looks of it, Tiny Desk Concerts would be more suited to smaller\nartists–and the majority of the musicians are relatively unheard of. But every\nonce in a while, a star drops by. Mac Miller stopped by<\/a>\njust last year to give a fantastic performance. In light of his tragic death,\nit feels like such a weighty thing to watch, but the truly beautiful thing\nabout it is the joy that fills the whole show. Mac is joking around between\nsongs, laughing as fellow musician Thundercat plays the shaker, and really\nseeming to genuinely enjoy sharing his songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps\nthe queen of indie rock, St.\nVincent, gave a quiet and personal performance<\/a> of songs off her 2017 album,\nMASSEDUCTION<\/em> as well. She\u2019s often\nseen on stage backed by bright visuals, and she\u2019s best known as an electric\nguitarist. But at her Tiny Desk, she fittingly flips the script and stands solo\nwith only an acoustic guitar and her voice. The stark simplicity gives the\nsongs a more intimate feeling that gets somewhat lost on the intricately\nproduced album recordings of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest rappers to ever come to the NPR headquarters has to be Tyler, the Creator. Atypical from the usual Tiny Desk arrangement, Tyler held his show at night<\/a> and had his set beautifully lit with atmospheric shades of red and blue and pink to match the tone of each song. His live shows are full of intense and concentrated energy, but in the Tiny Desk setting, Tyler\u2019s more soulful songs really got a chance to shine, and his infamous sense of humor was not lost. It\u2019s a remarkable display of the rapper\u2019s talents and consideration for every part of his performances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s\ndefinitely a treat to see such big-name artists in a setting other than a huge\nvenue, the real gems of Tiny Desk concerts lie within their videos of smaller\nartists that you might be able to catch at a house show someday. It\u2019s\nabsolutely glorious to see these artists pour their hearts out into these\nlittle performances for the folks at NPR–and the emotions can range from\nthundering rage to shining happiness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The saxophone-and-drum trio Moon Hooch gave what was perhaps the most passionate, energetic, and sweaty Tiny Desk Concert of all time.<\/a> These guys aren\u2019t the saxophonists from your local marching band–their sound is more akin to the musical screaming of punk infused with the complex melodies of jazz and the infectious rhythms of dance music. These guys have an almost inhuman amount of energy, and it\u2019s enthralling to witness. Their set is nonstop, and it kind of makes you want to get up and off the Internet so you can go make something as stirring as Moon Hooch\u2019s music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n