Militarie Gun: Tiny Desk Concert

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

Dora Levite | March 27, 2026

There's a misconception that a Tiny Desk performance needs to be quiet, stripped back and acoustic. When thinking about how Militarie Gun could pack its explosive-yet-melodic rock anthems into our cramped space, we asked the band to lean into the loud. As a result, lead singer Ian Shelton vibrates in this space, his energy filling it out as gang vocals surround him.

Originally a solo project for Shelton, who also fronts Regional Justice Center, Militarie Gun's hooky and punky songs brim with empathetic, vulnerable and often self-effacing lyrics. As he mentions at the Desk, most of his music explores growing up around addiction and what recovery could look like alongside those you love. Tracks like "Don't Pick Up the Phone" and "Thought You Were Waving" evoke that sentiment. But there's a playfulness here, too: Keep an ear out during "Throw Me Away," which features a totally unexpected Third Eye Blind interpolation.

SET LIST

"B A D I D E A"

"God Owes Me Money"

"Throw Me Away"

"Don't Pick Up the Phone"

"Thought You Were Waving"

"Do It Faster"

MUSICIANS

Ian Shelton: vocals

Will Acuña: guitar, background vocals

Kevin Kiley: guitar, background vocals

Waylon Trim: bass, background vocals

David Stalsworth: drums

Joey Mullen: conga, bongos, percussion

Sean Harvey: keys, background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Dora Levite

Director/Editor: Maia Stern

Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell

Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame

Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai

Production Assistant: Dhanika Pineda

Photographer: Alanté Serene

Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Felix Contreras

Series Editor: Lars Gotrich

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Executive Director: Sonali Mehta

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#nprmusic #tinydesk #militariegun

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