Kevin Parker’s team came back with two words: “all acoustic.” I was dumbfounded, not only by the notion of an acoustic Tame Impala set but also by the idea of the band playing the real Tiny Desk. In 2020, Tame Impala was able to toe and, by some standards, cross the line for its Tiny Desk (home) concert. Here at NPR headquarters, Parker and the crew had to relinquish a certain level of control. “Let’s just try it and see what happens,” Parker told me.
From a production standpoint, it feels like Tame Impala has done everything but this. Granted, there are plenty of moments throughout the catalog and a few on the new album, Deadbeat, that translate seamlessly into our space. “Loser” is pretty much all guitar. The live debut of “Dracula” is brilliantly reimagined, highlighting the band’s harmonies and Parker’s signature falsetto, which we never hear without at least a touch of reverb. This one took me back to the simpler Tiny Desk days of old, when less was more.
SET LIST
- “Borderline”
- “Loser”
- “Dracula”
- “New Person, Same Old Mistakes”
MUSICIANS
- Kevin Parker: vocals, guitar
- Dominic Simper: guitar
- Jay Watson: guitar, background vocals
- James Ireland: ukulele, percussion
- Julien Barbagallo: percussion
- Cameron Avery: bass, background vocals
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 Assistants: Dora Levite, Dhanika Pineda
- Photographer: Catie Dull
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
