Living Colour: Tiny Desk Concert

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

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture.

Felix Contreras | June 25, 2025

Did we really squeeze the big sound of Living Colour behind the Tiny Desk? Yes, we did. And, yet, the band lost none of its intensity at a slightly lower volume.

Living Colour starts with "Cult of Personality," the shot heard around the world, but spends the rest of the set celebrating 35 years of Time's Up. The album planted a flag for Black rock bands inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Motown and hardcore-punk pioneers Bad Brains, which gets a heartfelt shout out here before "Time's Up." Guitarist Vernon Reid's sonic bag of tricks is on full display as are the deep grooves of drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish. Corey Glover's voice cuts through it all.

Will the smaller setting inspire the band to trade in its equipment truck for a van and smaller amps? Perhaps, but this performance shows that, at any sound level, Living Colour commands attention and respect for its past and present.

SET LIST

"Cult of Personality"

"Pride"

"Love Rears Its Ugly Head"

"Time's Up"

"Solace of You"

MUSICIANS

Corey Glover: vocals

Vernon Reid: guitar, background vocals

Doug Wimbish: bass, background vocals

Will Calhoun: drums

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Bobby Carter

Director/Editor: Maia Stern

Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell

Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame

Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai

Production Assistant: Dora Levite

Photographer: Grace Raver

Tiny Desk Team: Lars Gotrich, Ashley Pointer

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

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