Cuco: Tiny Desk Concert

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

Anamaria Sayre | April 28, 2023

With a Dr. Simi doll in front of him, pop cariño Cuco brought every single piece of who he is and his artistry to El Tiny.

Slow-rolling through a set of four tracks, he seamlessly blended the soul of chicano ballads and the smooth energy of soft rock anthems. Opening with gentle vocals and simple chords on “Pendant,” Cuco brought corazon from an earlier era to his concert. Closing out the emo moment with a sweet guitar solo, he moved on to the tranquil percussion of “Hydrocodone,” delivering heartbroken melody and transporting the audience back to the bedroom where his songwriting career first began.

Complementing the rumbling bass with some light synth, he showcases that same soulful energy on “Feelings,” and closes out the set with the bumpy, bilingual new track “Under the Sun,” shifting to cumbia rhythms as he swaps languages. The guitar-heavy, percussive-laden show invites the audience to share in a Cuco we’ve never seen before, all parts heartbroken, hopeful, and evolving.

SET LIST

“Pendant”

“Hydrocodone”

“Feelings”

“Under the Sun”

MUSICIANS

Cuco: vocals, guitar, keys

Esai: bass, vocals

Fern: guitar, vocals

Allan Olivares: guitar, percussion, vocals

Julian Farias: drums

TINY DESK TEAM

Producers: Bobby Carter, Felix Contreras

Director/Editor: Kara Frame

Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin

Creative Director: Bob Boilen

Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Sofia Seidel

Audio Assistant: Neil Tevault

Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Maia Stern, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Pilar Galván, Jill Britton

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #nprmusic #cuco