Alum TK Johnson Backs Bartees Strange for a Tiny Desk Instant Classic
Drummer TK Johnson BM ’22 performs with Bartees Strange at NPR's Tiny Desk.
Image courtesy of NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert
It's been a big month for Bartees Strange and his band. The genre-bending indie rocker just released his phenomenal third LP, Horror, and with the band he's logged two barn-burning performances on the national stage—first playing the new song "Backseat Banton" on Jimmy Kimmel Live(Opens in a new window) and then, this week, taking a set of all new material to NPR's Tiny Desk(Opens in a new window).
(Dedicated readers might also recognize Bartees from his appearance on our list of great cover songs.)
Drummer TK Johnson BM ’22 has been backing Bartees since 2022, playing on multiple tours alongside artists including the National, Clairo, Boygenius, and Dijon. Johnson has also performed as a touring drummer with Colombian pop icon Karol G. She now joins an impressive cohort of alumni who've stepped behind Bob Boilen's old desk.
"Of all the times we’ve played together, Tiny Desk has gotta be in the top 5," Johnson said on Instagram. "Thanks for bringing me along this ride, Bartees. The things this band does never cease to amaze me."
Bartees and co. tear through the energetic and emotive Horror cuts with just enough restraint to keep from blowing the dropped ceiling off the place. "His band gives a leaner and meaner version of 'Wants Needs,' featuring a toy megaphone and whirring tape loops," writes NPR's Lars Gotrich. "'That's the ripper,' I tell him beforehand, to which he responds, 'They're all rippers, man.' No lies detected."
Help yourself to some rippers below.
