An effortless hop from the carpet onto the office furniture. A split-second survey of the audience gathered. Two steps, then liftoff and barrel roll. Not only does Brendan Yates execute the first-ever stage dive — and ensuing crowd surf — at the Tiny Desk, but he does so with athletic grace. That’s how this Turnstile concert ends, but not before a wild reimagination of the hardcore band’s wide-ranging sound, featuring piano and a horn section.
Ever since its inception 15 years ago, Turnstile has always turned its accessible, yet esoteric influences into something of its own. The roots are hardcore punk’s speed and volatility, but the itch to play with tonal, textural and rhythmic palettes has kept Baltimore’s own restless. That Turnstile only performs tracks from NEVER ENOUGH here could be seen as a commitment to the glossy sheen of the year’s biggest hardcore album, but that just turns out to be a ruse.
A midtempo rocker becomes a madcap piano brawler. A punk rager spins on a topsy-turvy ride, skanking along the way. Jangle-pop melancholia turns on a Motown dime, shimmying into a soul revue with the horns locked all the way in. The anthem emerges as a reflective ballad — and as a way for Yates to express his heartfelt gratitude toward the family, friends and “personal heroes” in the room. Just when you think you know Turnstile — its sound, motivation, vision — there’s another metamorphosis.
SET LIST
- “DREAMING”
- “SUNSHOWER”
- “I CARE”
- “NEVER ENOUGH”
- “BIRDS”
MUSICIANS
- Brendan Yates: vocals
- Pat McCrory: guitar
- Meg Mills: guitar
- Franz Lyons: bass
- Daniel Fang: drums
- Tobias Moody: saxophone
- Theljon Allen: trumpet
- Troy Long: piano
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Lars Gotrich
- Director/Editor: Maia Stern
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Sofia Seidel
- Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
- Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Dhanika Pineda
- Photographer: Grace Raver
- Copy Editor: Daoud Tyler-Ameen
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton