Cass McCombs: Tiny Desk Concert
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Maia Stern | March 24, 2025 Cass McCombs' songs are slow, languid and beautiful, which feels like the right counterbalance to our fast-paced times. With a set list culled from his deep and rich catalog, this Tiny Desk can serve as a reminder to slow down. The set begins with "Priestess," a brand new song just released today. The lyrics are vivid, yet mysterious, with references to the Devil, the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, and the late John Prine — it's about someone who encouraged McCombs' songwriting early on. He follows with "County Line" from Wit's End and "Robin Egg Blue" from Humor Risk — both songs were released in 2011, the year that I met my husband, who introduced me to McCombs' music. He closes with the moody "Opium Flower" from Not the Way, his debut EP released in 2002. If you look closely, you can spot a rare copy of the double 7-inch record that we snuck onto the Desk before the concert. SET LIST "Priestess" "County Line" "Robin Egg Blue" "Opium Flower" MUSICIANS Cass McCombs: vocals, guitar, keys Frank LoCrasto: piano, keys, harmonium Brian Betancourt: bass, background vocals Austin Vaughn: drums TINY DESK TEAM Producer/Director: Maia Stern Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Mitra I. Arthur Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer Photographer: Alanté Serene Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Lars Gotrich Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins #cassmccombs #nprmusic #tinydesk
Our favorite musicians perform at the NPR Music office.
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