Mannequin Pussy: Tiny Desk Concert

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:48:24 +0000

Dora Levite | April 13, 2026
When Missy Dabice sings, the words course through her entire body. Just as quickly as she screams about the cyclical nature of lust, she whispers her heartbreak and longing. Mannequin Pussy lives between those two spaces: the raw ferocity of feminine rage and the quiet moments of hopeless vulnerability. "I want to be a danger," she sighs. "I want to be adored."

When an artist comes to the Tiny Desk, they often seize upon the opportunity to reimagine their music. Here, a string quartet helps to crack these songs wide open, swelling with urgency and overflowing with emotion. "I Don't Know You" and "Split Me Open," in particular, soar with lush string arrangements, yet don't stray from the songs' uninhibited and deeply relatable appetite to be desired.

If, like me, Mannequin Pussy's Romantic found a way into your tender heart 10 years ago; thankfully, the band commemorates the anniversary by performing the title track with nostalgic appreciation. But the highlight of the show, just before "Loud Bark," lies in Dabice's deep acknowledgement of how it feels to be human right now: the pain, the grief and the sadness that swirls inside of us.

"Your rage is a part of you and you have to honor it. Give it the space to breathe," says Dabice, before she leads the audience in a primal, cathartic scream.

SET LIST
"I Don't Know You"
"Split Me Open"
"Loud Bark"
"Romantic"

MUSICIANS
Missy Dabice: vocals, guitar
Maxine Steen: guitar, keys
Colins "Bear" Regisford: bass
Kaleen Reading: drums
Shaan Ramaprasad: violin, music director, string arrangements
Ashley Parham: violin
Kyung Leblanc: viola
Juliano Bitonti: cello

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Dora Levite
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Dhanika Pineda
Photographer: Vanessa Castillo
Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Felix Contreras
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton