Turnstile Makes History: The First Ever Tiny Desk Stage Dive
Tiny Desk concerts are known for their intimate energy and stripped-down performances. They also happen to be the perfect place for a stage dive turned crowd surf.
Brendan Yates, the electrifying frontman of the Baltimore-based hardcore band, shattered the expectations of a Tiny Desk concert by executing the first-ever stage dive during a show. The band effortlessly blended absolute chaos with Tiny Desk’s famously relaxing vibe. As Yates launched himself into the crowd, the band further blurred the line between the hardcore and mainstream music scenes.
Known for pushing the limits of what it means to be hardcore, Turnstile continues to redefine the genre, while staying true to the roots of what hardcore is. Their Tiny Desk performance instantly turned into an iconic moment. It was more than just a stage dive. It was a cultural moment in music.
Back in June, Turnstile dropped their fourth studio album, NEVER ENOUGH, showing just how much they evolved since their inception fifteen years ago. The album rollout included a visually stunning seven-minute music video that drew fans into their creative world and excited them for the fourteen-track album. And if that wasn’t enough, they also released a NEVER ENOUGH film in theaters on June 5th.
No matter what Turnstile does they make it their own. Their Tiny Desk setlist included tracks only from NEVER ENOUGH, a move that shows how much they believed in this album, which became one of the biggest hardcore albums of the year.
As viewers anticipated the concert’s end, Yates was just warming up. Yates casually climbed on top of the tiny desk and launched himself into the sea of moshing fans. Only he could make something so hardcore so graceful. He returned to the mic just in time to finish the band’s rousing performance of “BIRDS,” leaving the room charged and people talking.
Coverage of Turnstile’s Tiny Desk found its way into the mainstream, as any history in the making does, with major music outlets like Rolling Stone recognizing the historical stage dive turned crowd surf moment. The moment went viral, revolutionizing a live performance and catching the attention of those in and out of the hardcore scene.
This wasn’t Turnstile’s first appearance at NPR’s offices. In 2022, they performed a Tiny Desk (Home) Concert featuring songs from GLOW ON, which was named one of NPR Music’s 50 Best Albums of 2021. But while their first set was much more contained, this latest performance changed the potential of what Tiny Desk could be. And after that historic stage dive, it's safe to say that this won’t be their last performance with Tiny Desk.
Watch Turnstile make history here: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/05/1066843939/turnstile-tiny-desk-home-concert