What’s all that stuff on the Tiny Desk shelves, anyway?

Chappell Roan's wig gets added to our impressive collection of ephemera; plus, a chance to visit the Tiny Desk and more

View this email online Support this newsletter for a chance to win. Only one week left! Until March 28, your support offers you a chance to win an unforgettable trip for two to DC to experience a Tiny Desk Concert. This is more than a concert — it's a journey into the heart of NPR and music storytelling. You’ll not only see an unforgettable performance, but you’ll also witness how the shows come together behind the scenes. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to explore the Tiny Desk’s magic first-hand. Donate today. — Stephen Thompson, NPR Music March 21, 2024 by Stephen Thompson Chappell Roan’s wig gets added to our impressive collection of ephemera; plus, a chance to visit the Tiny Desk and more. Elizabeth Gillis/NPR We’ve had many reasons to be excited about the Tiny Desk concert we published this morning, starring the flamboyant pop sensation Chappell Roan. The biggest, of course, is the music, as the singer-songwriter showcased five tremendous songs from last year’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. But she also left us a souvenir, which we intend to display at the desk until roughly the end of time. In case you haven’t noticed, we use the Tiny Desk’s shelves as an ever-evolving musical museum exhibit. As such, we typically ask performers to leave a small offering when they perform, so that the backdrop never stays quite the same from set to set.  Sometimes, artists leave a toy or a piece of swag, or even something as simple as a guitar pick. It could be a drinking cup, a sticker, a drawing, you name it. For example, after Dave Matthews performed in 2018, he accidentally abandoned his Klean Kanteen water bottle, so I set it on the shelves and attached a note that read, “Dave Matthews’ water bottle — please do not extract DNA to create abominable cloned race of Dave Matthewses in violation of the laws of God and humanity. Thanks!” Anything goes, really, though we recently stopped showcasing moldy foodstuffs after Chris Thile’s nearly decade-old birthday cake attracted insects. Many of the artifacts on the shelves come from the lives of NPR Music’s staffers. Several, like the talking Master P doll (since signed by the man himself while he was passing through NPR headquarters) and the Gene Simmons teddy bear, used to be displayed in my office at The Onion. Others, like the word sculptures that spell “NPR,” “All Songs Considered,” “Bob Boilen” and “Robin Hilton,” were sent to us by listeners. (Thanks again, Leo Blais!) And sometimes, the tchotchkes even find their way into the performances: Jonas Brothers incorporated our smallest keyboard — technically a “Bee Gees Rhythm Machine” — into their set, immortalizing a kind gift to the Tiny Desk from my ex-wife. And, of course, sometimes the tchotchkes are retired to our various homes — or elsewhere. Bob Boilen’s retirement last year meant it was time for his surprisingly well-deserved Emmy (among other artifacts) to head home with him. Taylor Swift left us a signed copy of her 2019 album Lover, but its whereabouts are currently unknown. And the Green Bay Packers helmet I got signed by Harry Styles (in conjunction with our appearance together to discuss America’s Team) now sits perched atop my mantel, where it will remain until either I have a falling out with the Packers or my partner has a falling out with me. So, what does all this have to do with today’s Tiny Desk concert by Chappell Roan? Well, if you watch the set — and seriously, please, watch the set, which turned out so, so well — you’ll see that Roan is clad in a magnificent pinkish-red wig. During the set, said wig towered majestically over the singer’s head, bolstered by a wadded-up garbage bag; its accouterments included a tiara and several stubbed-out cigarette butts. And, when Roan was done performing, I sought her out to surrender my remaining dignity and ask if we could keep the wig for posterity. (She said yes!) A few of us then spent a remarkably clumsy 10 minutes or so attempting to affix Roan’s wig to a dancing statue of James Brown. (That statue, by the way, makes a memorable appearance in a 2016 Tiny Desk performance by Saul Williams.) But the next time I came to the office, the wig had been far more capably affixed to a skull Cypress Hill had left us a few months earlier. So now and forever, Chappell Roan’s flowing red locks belong to the Tiny Desk — and, by extension, to the ages. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Tiny Desk Contest update Thousands of Tiny Desk Contest entries poured in this year — here’s a link where you can watch the eligible videos and start making discoveries — but have you heard about our other Tiny Desk contest? The one where you can enter for a chance to attend a Tiny Desk concert as an audience member, and pick up some cool swag along the way? Click here for more information! 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 Justin Timberlake is nothing if not a paragon of maximalist effort, as he presides over an epic, solo-career-spanning, seven-song, 25-minute performance. 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. Around public radio The SXSW music festival was last week, and Charlottesville’s WNRN was there. They sat down with beloved singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards for an intimate performance of her song “Glenfern.”  Nashville’s WMOT shared a beach-house version of Grace Potter’s signature hit, “Something That I Want.”  Our other Nashville partner, WNXP, brought the anthemic Australian indie group Middle Kids to the station’s Sonic Cathedral (where the band played one of our top songs of 2023, “Highlands”). Another one of our Best Songs of 2023 (see the whole list here) made an appearance at SoCal station KCRW: Vagabon’s “Autobahn.” Finally, Seattle’s KEXP filmed a session including one of the most famous songs of the 19th century: “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” performed by folklorist Jake Blount. 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? 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