Turnstile: Tiny Desk Concert

Lars Gotrich | September 10, 2025
An effortless hop from the carpet onto the office furniture. A split-second survey of the audience gathered. Two steps, then liftoff and barrel roll. Not only does Brendan Yates execute the first-ever stage dive — and ensuing crowd surf — at the Tiny Desk, but he does so with athletic grace. That's how this Turnstile concert ends, but not before a wild reimagination of the hardcore band's wide-ranging sound, featuring piano and a horn section.

Ever since its inception 15 years ago, Turnstile has always turned its accessible, yet esoteric influences into something of its own. The roots are hardcore punk's speed and volatility, but the itch to play with tonal, textural and rhythmic palettes has kept Baltimore's own restless. That Turnstile only performs tracks from NEVER ENOUGH here could be seen as a commitment to the glossy sheen of the year's biggest hardcore album, but that just turns out to be a ruse.

A midtempo rocker becomes a madcap piano brawler. A punk rager spins on a topsy-turvy ride, skanking along the way. Jangle-pop melancholia turns on a Motown dime, shimmying into a soul revue with the horns locked all the way in. The anthem emerges as a reflective ballad — and as a way for Yates to express his heartfelt gratitude toward the family, friends and "personal heroes" in the room. Just when you think you know Turnstile — its sound, motivation, vision — there's another metamorphosis.

SET LIST
"DREAMING"
"SUNSHOWER"
"I CARE"
"NEVER ENOUGH"
"BIRDS"

MUSICIANS
Brendan Yates: vocals
Pat McCrory: guitar
Meg Mills: guitar
Franz Lyons: bass
Daniel Fang: drums
Tobias Moody: saxophone
Theljon Allen: trumpet
Troy Long: piano

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Lars Gotrich
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Sofia Seidel
Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Dhanika Pineda
Photographer: Grace Raver
Copy Editor: Daoud Tyler-Ameen
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#nprmusic #tinydesk #turnstile

Tiny Desk Giveaway. No purchase or donation required for entry. Void where restricted or prohibited by law. 18yrs or older. Deadline September 12, 2025, 11:59PM PT. ARV: $3,800. Links to the entry page and official rules can be found at NPR.org/TinyDeskGiveaway
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