Obongjayar: Tiny Desk Concert

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

Bobby Carter | August 2, 2023

When I got downstairs to greet Obongjayar and his bandmates at NPR headquarters, they had already found their way over to some stationary bikes near the lobby to get the adrenaline pumping. OB and crew seemed shy but ready for this moment. During the show, I witnessed my colleagues go from wiping away tears to bouncing and clapping within a matter of minutes. That emotional balance is Obongjayar’s Tiny Desk in a nutshell. He gave us everything.

The Nigerian-born, London-based Steven Umoh beelined it straight to the desk to dial in with the band. His towering presence, juxtaposed with a high-register tone that sometimes dips into a low growl, simply commands attention. I first learned of Obongjayar through Little Simz. He was featured on “Point and Kill,” which they performed for a Tiny Desk home concert in 2021. The following year, he dropped his debut album Some Nights I Dream of Doors. While most of the set focused on the best of Some Nights…, he also plays the newly released “Just Cool” before closing with the awe-inspiring protest cut, “Message in a Hammer.”

SET LIST

“Sugar”

“Frens”

“Just Cool”

“I Wish It Was Me”

“Message in a Hammer”

MUSICIANS

Obongjayar: lead vocal

Sam Jones: drums

Ciaran Corr: guitar

Mutale Chashi: bass, keys

Elias Atkinson: trumpet

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Bobby Carter

Director/Editor: Kara Frame

Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin

Creative Director: Bob Boilen

Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Alanté Serene

Audio Assistant: Kwesi Lee

Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer

Photographer: Keren Carrión

Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Maia Stern, Hazel Cills

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #obongjayar #nprmusic