Turnstile have made their debut as part of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, with a performance filmed at drummer Daniel Fang’s house in Baltimore, in front of a stuffed animal art installation by artist John Scharbach.
The band played seven tracks from their acclaimed latest album GLOW ON in around 17 minutes, including favourites like ‘UNDERWATER BOI’, ‘BLACKOUT’, ‘MYSTERY’ and ‘T.L.C. (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION)’.
As you might expect, the hardcore punks are a little more subdued than usual for their appearance, with frontman Brendan Yates – who usually bounces around the stage frenetically during typical Turnstile sets – seated behind a Rhodes piano he makes ample use of throughout the set.
“It’s super exciting for us to be here to kind of think of the songs in a different way, play them in a new way,” Yates says midway through. To wit, several of the songs undergo pretty significant reinterpretations. ‘MYSTERY’, which on record is a fist-pumping, straight-ahead rager, becomes a slow-burning ballad, Yates crooning reflectively above a relatively sparse Rhodes accompaniment.
GLOW ON arrived back in August of last year, the band’s third studio album and follow-up to 2018’s Time & Space. Watch Turnstile’s Tiny Desk Concert below.
