7 of My Favorite Tiny Desk Concerts in Support of NPR and Protect Public Media
With public media funding in jeopardy, NPR's future is uncertain. I'm highlighting one of their most beloved programs to raise awareness.
Public media is something I believe is essential, especially in a world where most of our content is behind a paywall. Stations like NPR and PBS are committed to delivering high-quality stories, music, and journalism for free. But right now, public media is at risk. The House of Representatives recently passed legislation to eliminate the next two years of federal funding for public media, including NPR and PBS. The Senate is expected to make a decision soon, and this is the closest we’ve come to losing that funding.
Now more than ever is the time to support and donate to public media organizations. To bring awareness to the issue, I wanted to highlight NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series and share seven performances I personally love.
This is not a definitive top seven. Tiny Desk has too many iconic performances for that. These are just seven episodes that mean something to me, and I hope you find something in this list that brings you joy too.
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
This is the most recent episode on the list, published on July 2. Even during this uncertain time for NPR, they are still putting out high-quality work. Fresh off the release of their 2024 record Woodland (named after Woodland Studios in Nashville), Americana royalty Gillian Welch and David Rawlings bring their acoustic folk magic to a four-song set. Highlights include “Empty Trainload of Sky,” “Lawman,” and “Hashtag,” plus a beautiful closer from Welch’s 2001 record Time (The Revelator) called “Revelator.” This is their second Tiny Desk appearance—the first was in 2010. It’s rare for artists to return, but their harmonies, guitar work, and lyrics make it clear why they were invited back.
They Might Be Giants
Switching gears, this 2011 throwback features one of my all-time favorite bands. John Linnell and John Flansburgh (a former Undefined guest) are joined by drummer Marty Beller to perform two songs from their album Join Us. The set kicks off with “Can’t Keep Johnny Down,” which opens with the line:
“Outnumbered a million to one
All of the dicks in this dick town
Can't keep Johnny down”
It’s a little jarring but captures the band’s quirky humor. The highlight, though, is a wild medley from their 1992 album Apollo 18, which originally had 21 mini-songs meant to be shuffled on CD. Now they’re combined into one track, and it’s one of the most delightfully chaotic pieces ever featured on the show. You can hear the audience giggling throughout, which makes it even better.
Dave Matthews
This 2018 episode features Dave Matthews solo—no band, no Tim Reynolds. Just Dave, a guitar, and some great stories between songs. DMB is known for big shows and long jams, but here, the intimacy shines. The five-song set spans his catalog, and my personal favorite is “So Damn Lucky,” which really fits this stripped-down format. It’s a must-watch for any fan of his work.
Punch Brothers
This one has lived rent-free in my head since I first saw it. In 2015, the five-piece bluegrass group led by mandolin master Chris Thile played a four-song set featuring “My Oh My,” “Magnet,” and a perfect closer, “Julep.” Their musicianship is incredible, but what really makes this episode special is the birthday surprise. The NPR team brings out a cake that says “Brace Yourself Chris Happy Birthday,” because Thile had braces at the time. His reaction is so genuine and sweet. That moment made it one of my favorite Tiny Desk episodes ever.
Drive-By Truckers
Right after the 2016 election, the “Dance Band of the Resistance” delivered a powerful three-song set that feels just as relevant today. “What It Means,” written by Patterson Hood in response to the Ferguson decision and the killing of Trayvon Martin, remains haunting. Hood told Rolling Stone, “Unfortunately, the song is still timely today. I hope and pray that one day it won’t be.” The set ends with “Once They Banned Imagine,” sung by Mike Cooley, who says it’s about how some things stay the same, but not always for the better. This episode is raw and emotional, showing how music can help us process hard moments.
Waxahatchee
In this recent episode, Katie Crutchfield and her five-piece band perform songs from her stunning 2024 album Tigers Blood. The set opens with “Much Ado About Nothing” and ends with “Fire” from her 2020 album Saint Cloud. Katie’s voice is haunting and cool, and it’s fun to watch her band enjoy the moment too. Eliana Athayde stands out on upright bass, and Spencer Tweedy (on drums) returns to Tiny Desk after his 2014 performance with his dad in the band Tweedy. It’s a warm, vibrant set from one of my favorite current artists.
Jason Isbell
You didn’t think I’d make it through this list without mentioning Isbell, right? His 2017 Tiny Desk with the 400 Unit was filmed around the release of The Nashville Sound. The set opens with one of my comfort songs, “Chaos and Clothes,” featuring accordion by Derry Deborja. We also get the deep cut “Molotov,” which he rarely plays live anymore. The music is beautiful, but the banter steals the show. My favorite moment is when Jason quietly tunes his guitar near Sadler Vaden, who gets startled and just says “thank you.” It turns into a hilarious exchange about how Sadler says “thank you” when he’s scared, which he jokes is a reflex from babyhood. If you’ve ever been to an Isbell show, you know how much those in-between moments matter. This set always cheers me up.
There are way too many amazing Tiny Desk episodes to cover in one post, but I hope this list gives you a taste of what makes the series so special. NPR has done so much to spotlight incredible musicians through Tiny Desk, All Songs Considered, Fresh Air, and more. Public media matters. It introduces us to new sounds, stories, and perspectives we wouldn’t get elsewhere.
Please consider supporting NPR and your local stations. You can also visit https://protectmypublicmedia.org/ for more information on how to get involved and protect the content we love.