Cass McCombs: Tiny Desk Concert

Cass McCombs: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

Maia Stern | March 24, 2025

Cass McCombs' songs are slow, languid and beautiful, which feels like the right counterbalance to our fast-paced times. With a set list culled from his deep and rich catalog, this Tiny Desk can serve as a reminder to slow down.

The set begins with "Priestess," a brand new song just released today. The lyrics are vivid, yet mysterious, with references to the Devil, the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, and the late John Prine — it's about someone who encouraged McCombs' songwriting early on. He follows with "County Line" from Wit's End and "Robin Egg Blue" from Humor Risk — both songs were released in 2011, the year that I met my husband, who introduced me to McCombs' music. He closes with the moody "Opium Flower" from Not the Way, his debut EP released in 2002. If you look closely, you can spot a rare copy of the double 7-inch record that we snuck onto the Desk before the concert.

SET LIST

"Priestess"

"County Line"

"Robin Egg Blue"

"Opium Flower"

MUSICIANS

Cass McCombs: vocals, guitar, keys

Frank LoCrasto: piano, keys, harmonium

Brian Betancourt: bass, background vocals

Austin Vaughn: drums

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer/Director: Maia Stern

Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell

Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Mitra I. Arthur

Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai

Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer

Photographer: Alanté Serene

Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Lars Gotrich

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#cassmccombs #nprmusic #tinydesk