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Hobo Johnson: Tiny Desk Concert

By Bob Boilen
Published September 12, 2018 at 5:00 AM EDT

Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers accomplished something remarkable this year with their Tiny Desk Contest entry. They made a simple backyard video - a single camera shoot - that's now been seen almost 10 million times on YouTube. And the song they played, "Peach Scone," has unlocked a door to a dream - to play a Tiny Desk Concert and be heard. The song is a tale of one-sided love - a tale of kindness in the face of loneliness and depression. Now, "a couple of kids - five I guess" as its lyrics go, get to bring their creative, urgent and somewhat nervous energy from Sacramento, Calif. to play "Peach Scone" and more to millions of other listeners.

This is a band always on the verge of emotional explosions, all while Frank Lopes, aka Hobo Johnson, is quoting Shakespeare and making references to Jay-Z, The Front Bottoms song "Twin Size Mattress" and so much more.

The directness in their music, with its chorus shouts ("Damn I love those sandwiches!") and the little asides ("I got a duvet the other day - how do you wash a blanket? In a washer? That's what I found out") make for a remarkably personal performance. At times it's as much a storytelling session or personal confession than a musical performance, and for me it conjures feelings of empathy and understanding and compassion.

Set List

  • "Romeo & Juliet"

    •
  • "Sex in the City"

  • "Peach Scone"

  • "Creve Coeur 1"

    • Credits

    Producers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Bronson Arcuri, CJ Riculan; Production Assistant: Ema Sagner; Photo: John Poole

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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    In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.
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    Federal funding is gone.

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    The future of public media is in your hands.

    All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

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