Justin Timberlake fit 15 musicians behind the Tiny Desk, but it’s not a record

Running down the most densely populated Tiny Desk concerts of all time; plus, a career-spanning performance by Justin Timberlake

View this email online Support this newsletter for a chance to win. As part of the team that works to make Tiny Desk concerts possible, I'm excited to invite you to participate in our first Tiny Desk giveaway! Until March 28, your donation supporting the NPR Network can also enter you for a chance at a once-in-a-lifetime trip to see a Tiny Desk concert in person. You’ll even have the option to grab some unique Tiny Desk swag when you enter. Show your support today for your chance to win! — Stephen Thompson, NPR Music March 15, 2024 by Stephen Thompson Running down a list of the most densely populated Tiny Desk concerts of all time; plus, a career-spanning performance by Justin Timberlake. Estefania Mitre/NPR We keep an eye on plenty of milestones at the Tiny Desk, from round numbers and anniversaries to record-setters of various stripes. One of the grandest milestones — one we’ve been watching closely since the beginning — is who holds the all-time record for most musicians we’ve ever fit behind the Tiny Desk. When we were about to record the concert we published this morning — the one headlined by one Justin Randall Timberlake — a member of his sizable crew mused aloud about whether his performance would set the record. By the time Timberlake took the Tiny Desk stage for a seven-song, solo-career-spanning 25-minute set, Timberlake was one of 15. Which is a lot, given that, per the series’ name, it’s a pretty tiny desk. Timberlake’s band was not, however, even in the Top 5 for most musicians we’ve ever shoehorned in. The all-time record, and it’s an absolute doozy in every way, is held by the magnificently joyful Chicago band Mucca Pazza, which back in 2015 fit 23 musicians behind (and on, and around, and stacked vertically atop the bookshelves near) the Tiny Desk. Watch their set — horns! cheerleaders! so many voices! — and you’ll genuinely wonder how the heck we did it. Also topping Timberlake is the Grammy-festooned gospel group Maverick City Music, who crammed 18 musicians behind the desk, while a holiday set by The Polyphonic Spree, at 17, holds the record for most ever to fit behind the original Tiny Desk, before we moved out of our old (now demolished) office building in 2014. If you want a remarkably crowded stage, a stunningly entertaining set and a band you very possibly don’t already know, Mother Falcon also brought 17 — and in the process even lined up a few of their players in front of the desk. (Seriously, click that link, watch the first song and come back. I’ll wait.) And the stunning vocal ensemble The Crossing fit 17 of its own, or 18 if you count their conductor. The tininess of our stage has also provided a challenging constraint as we’ve brought bits of Broadway to the Tiny Desk. The cast of Come From Away topped out at 16, for example, while Kimberly Akimbo and Hadestown — the latter performance mere days before we shut down for the pandemic — brought 14 apiece. The classical ensemble Wild Up (14 plus a conductor) and the gospel singer Tye Tribbett (15) packed the desk in their own right, while Sam Smith brought a choir that helped tip the scales at 14. And, of course, my colleague Lars Gotrich offered this helpful asterisk: “GWAR had millions of undead souls.” Newsletter continues after sponsor message Tiny Desk Contest update Top Shelf 2024 is coming soon! If you’re unfamiliar with the series, it’s a YouTube show in which Tiny Desk Contest judges highlight their favorite entries. It’s a tremendous way to discover new artists, hear about the Tiny Desk Contest process and gather virtually with a wonderful community of musicians. Watch this space for more info. Introducing NPR Music+, a new way to support what you love and explore new music and conversations sponsor-free. NPR Music+ includes two podcasts with one convenient subscription: All Songs Considered and Alt.Latino, both sponsor-free. Learn more and support us at plus.npr.org/NPRmusic Get NPR Music+ Recent Tiny Desks Jennifer Koh and Missy Mazzoli trace the history of their fruitful collaboration in a set of adventurous classical pieces that are both ferocious and beautiful. 311 was perhaps destined to release a Tiny Desk concert on March 11, but there’s no wrong day to soak up the long-running band’s loving vibes and good-natured nostalgia. Squirrel Flower (a.k.a. Ella Williams) plays full-blooded rock songs with her band, but at the Tiny Desk, she stripped a few of them down to a haunting — and often breathtaking — mix of solo vocals and electric guitar. Don’t miss “Iowa 146,” the quiet stunner that closes her set. Wednesday singer-guitarist Karly Hartzman says she studied Tiny Desk concerts while learning to play guitar; now, she’s performing one of her own alongside her tremendous band, which lends an unmistakable twang to its gnarled indie-rock. Butcher Brown describes his hot, funky sound as “solar music” — as in, it contains everything under the sun. NPR Music’s Nikki Birch gets a little more specific, describing it as “psychedelic jazz funk with a hip-hop polish.” Around public radio Olivia Barton is a featured voice on one of NPR Music’s favorite songs of 2023, the utterly charming viral hit “if i were a fish,” by corook. Recently, WFUV in New York City filmed a short set of songs by Barton playing solo with an acoustic guitar; the set has all the same intimate charm as that TikTok smash.  KEXP in Seattle hosted a set by Bantu Spaceship, a synth-driven group from Zimbabwe that makes vintage-sounding African pop. KEXP recorded a four song set by the group during Les Trans Musicales festival in Rennes, France. It pulses with hypnotic energy.  WNXP in Nashville calls its live performance venue the “Sonic Cathedral,” which is a lot to live up to, but the Brooklyn-based Hotline TNT knows something about creating expectations with a name. With a three-guitar attack (perhaps… a sonic trinity?) and a devotion to riffs, the group proved on a recent set from the Cathedral that it also knows how to live up to those expectations.  Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! 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