On the morning of Leon Thomas‘ Tiny Desk live performance, many NPR staffers assumed the present was postponed as a result of a snowstorm within the D.C. space. Not solely did he proactively schedule his coast-to-coast flight however he was additionally half-hour early to the workplace. Together with his sophomore album, MUTT, Thomas has planted his flag as probably the most thrilling artist in R&B music at the moment. The Tiny Desk needed to occur now; nothing would get in the best way of divine timing.
Thomas was destined to be an entertainer — he is been doing it for many of his life. His dad and mom had been each musicians and launched him to their world early on. As an actor, he appeared in a number of Broadway performs earlier than turning into a staple on the Nickelodeon community. Underneath the tutelage of Babyface, he earned his chops as a author and producer, finally penning and producing huge hits in R&B and hip-hop.
He opens this set with three songs from MUTT and closes with two from 2023’s Electrical Nightfall, together with “Breaking Level,” which he dedicates to his just lately deceased grandfather, the opera singer John Anthony: “That is one in every of his favourite songs.”
SET LIST
- “VIBES DON’T LIE”
- “YES IT IS”
- “MUTT”
- “Breaking Level”Â
- “Treasure In The Hills”
MUSICIANS
- Leon Thomas: vocals, guitar
- Chris Payton: guitar
- Ali Roots: keys, piano
- Joe “Jough” Cleveland: bass
- Quintin “Q” Gulledge: drums
- TK: background vocals
- Ayana Layli: background vocals
- Sha’Leah Nikole: background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Bobby Carter
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Body, Grace Raver
- Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
- Manufacturing Assistant: Ashley Pointer
- Photographer: Alanté Serene
- Tiny Desk Group: Maia Stern, Lars Gotrich
- Govt Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Sequence Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
