The Magnetic Fields: Tiny Desk Concert

Robin Hilton | November 20, 2024
There's a good chance you or someone you know has borrowed a line or two from 69 Love Songs, the beloved, three-volume album released by The Magnetic Fields in 1999. Lyrics from frontman Stephin Merritt's often comical and affecting opus to dating and romance have wound up in everything from film and TV shows to love letters and marriage vows. Now on tour for the album's 25th anniversary, the band stopped by the Desk to share more than a half-dozen songs from across the collection.

Battling a head cold, Merritt cradled a stuffed animal through the performance (a white cat you can spot sitting on the Desk in a lot of Tiny Desk sets). "I don't actually know whose cat this is," he told the crowd, as he crooned multiple fan favorites, including "The Book of Love," "I Don't Want To Get Over You," and "Come Back From San Francisco."

The band, featuring the complete original lineup, performed without drums and an almost entirely acoustic set, with the exception of Sam Davol's electric cello.

SET LIST
"Roses"
"All My Little Words"
"Reno Dakota"
"Come Back From San Francisco"
"I Don't Want To Get Over You"
"For We Are the King of the Boudoir"
"Kiss Me Like You Mean It"
"The Book of Love"

MUSICIANS
Stephin Merritt: vocals
Sam Davol: electric cello
Shirley Simms: ukulele, vocals
Claudia Gonson: vocals
John Woo: acoustic guitar
Chris Ewen: acoustic piano
Anthony Kaczynski: acoustic guitar, vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Robin Hilton
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Mitra I. Arthur
Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
Photographer: Alanté Serene
Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

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Support for NPR Music comes from Better Help, committed to making mental well-being a priority and offering support in taking on everything life demands. With therapists available to communicate via video, chat, or phone. At BetterHelp.com/TinyDesk.