Panda Bear: Tiny Desk Concert

Robin Hilton | April 16, 2025
When we heard that Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) was touring with a full band for the first time in more than 25 years of releasing music as a solo artist, we knew we had to (finally) get him in for a Tiny Desk.

Recreating his beautifully experimental studio work for a live setting was never easy to do alone, not without a lot of pre-recorded loops and backing tracks. But here Panda Bear’s wondrous music comes to life with the help of four additional friends on bass, drums and electronics. Most importantly, they also provide the sweet, multi-layered harmonies fans have long loved in Panda Bear’s recorded work.

The group largely focuses on Panda Bear’s new album, Sinister Grift, opening with the glittery and wistful "Ferry Lady," followed by "Defense," a track Lennox originally recorded as a duet with Cindy Lee. They close with "Song for Ariel," a relatively deep cut that was the original prototype for Animal Collective’s "Guys Eyes" from the 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavilion.

SET LIST
"Ferry Lady"
"Defense"
"Song for Ariel"

MUSICIANS
Noah Lennox: vocals, guitar
Rivka Ravede: electronics, background vocals
Tomé Silva: drums, background vocals
Maria Reis: keys, background vocals
Tim Koh: bass, background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Robin Hilton
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Grace Raver
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Ashley Pointer
Tiny Desk Team: Lars Gotrich, Joshua Bryant
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#nprmusic #tinydesk #pandabear