Chappell Roan: Tiny Desk Concert
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Published 2024-03-21
It’s become a Tiny Desk tradition for artists to leave a small offering on the shelves — a tchotchke, a toy, a signed album or piece of swag, a guitar pick, that sort of thing. Usually, those pieces get absorbed into the visual din, but sometimes, they change the look of the Tiny Desk permanently. All of which is to say that when Chappell Roan finished her magnetic performance, we immediately sought her out to sheepishly ask if we could keep her wig.
Roan’s marvelous debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, came out last September — just in time to fit into the window of eligibility for the 2025 Grammys, hint hint wink — and it finds the singer toying confidently with a persona inspired in part by drag performers. Flanked by a pink-clad band, she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to serve up an absolute look, complete with white makeup and a towering wig (bolstered by a wadded-up trash bag tucked inside, as well as an assortment of stubbed-out cigarette butts), which now sits comfortably atop a skull Cypress Hill left us.
It’s only appropriate that Roan would forever alter the Tiny Desk. Because, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, this is a stunning set: Performing five songs from Midwest Princess, Roan worked through songs of youthful heartache (“Casual”), queer liberation (“Pink Pony Club”), mournful alienation (“California”) and two decidedly different forms of chaotic seduction (“Picture You,” “Red Wine Supernova”). In every mood and every song, she’s utterly commanding — witty and whip-smart, vocally assured and charismatic beyond words.
She didn’t just leave her wig; she left a mark.
SET LIST
“Casual”
“Pink Pony Club”
“Picture You”
“California”
“Red Wine Supernova”
MUSICIANS
Chappell Roan: lead vocals
Eliza Petrosyan: guitar
Lucy Ritter: drums
Valeria Falcon: bass
Sarah Hinez: keys
Danica Pinner: cello
Mia Pfirrman: vocals
Emily Lenck: violin
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Stephen Thompson
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Zayrha Rodriguez
Audio Engineer: Carleigh Strange
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Elizabeth Gillis
Tiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#tinydesk #nprmusic #chappellroan
0:14 Casual
5:00 Pink Pony Club
10:03 Picture You
15:05 California
19:30 Red Wine Supernova
All Comments (21)
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I have watched this so many times like a transfixed toddler watches cocomelon
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the all women instrumentalists is iconic
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I feel like her hyper femme sound, the all femme presenting band, all pink is everything. Like it makes me emotional??? 😭
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having a violin player do all the guitar solos in pink pony club is so iconic
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Many will not understand this historical event
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the lipstick on the teeth, the matching eyeshadows, the insane wig- she's one of the most "committed to the visuals" gen z artists out there!!!!!!!
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HAPPY PRIDE MONTH YALL
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I live for the parents in the comments. Thank you so much for supporting your children, you all are such wonderful souls.
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I cannot wait for the day Chappell gets to be a guest judge on Drag Race
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Hello everyone! I did the makeup for this. thank you so much for the love. I’m so happy you guys love it
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Baby this is a lot of people’s Super Bowl, you’re not alone
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Put a lump in my throat. Pink Pony Club. My daughter came out at 16 and I just love her so deeply. I just learned my girl is driving 300 miles alone to see Chappel Roan and I’m so happy for her. I’m just worried about the drive!
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I genuinely love how batshit and unhinged she's getting
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the cigarette in the wig...... nobody is doing it like Her
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well this is my first time ever listening to chapell roan and I'm crying
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Her musical stylings are calling back to pop from the 80s and 2000s, but her vocal work reminds me of female singers from 90s alt rock (e.g. The Cranberries). Really incredible sound!
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i will never get over the "i heard you like magic? i got a wand and a rabbit!" line. Like that is such a clever joke how did she think of that 😭
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pink pony club is the modern day girls just wanna have fun by cyndi lauper
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her voice is so strong and has the depth of a 57 year old single mom from nashville. how does she do it
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i’m so upset that i didn’t discover her sooner cause she is exactly what my life was missing😩🩷
