Cuco: Tiny Desk Concert

Anamaria Sayre | April 28, 2023

With a Dr. Simi doll in front of him, pop cariño Cuco brought every single piece of who he is and his artistry to El Tiny.

Slow-rolling through a set of four tracks, he seamlessly blended the soul of chicano ballads and the smooth energy of soft rock anthems. Opening with gentle vocals and simple chords on “Pendant,” Cuco brought corazon from an earlier era to his concert. Closing out the emo moment with a sweet guitar solo, he moved on to the tranquil percussion of “Hydrocodone,” delivering heartbroken melody and transporting the audience back to the bedroom where his songwriting career first began.

Complementing the rumbling bass with some light synth, he showcases that same soulful energy on “Feelings,” and closes out the set with the bumpy, bilingual new track “Under the Sun,” shifting to cumbia rhythms as he swaps languages. The guitar-heavy, percussive-laden show invites the audience to share in a Cuco we’ve never seen before, all parts heartbroken, hopeful, and evolving.

SET LIST
“Pendant”
“Hydrocodone”
“Feelings”
“Under the Sun”

MUSICIANS
Cuco: vocals, guitar, keys
Esai: bass, vocals
Fern: guitar, vocals
Allan Olivares: guitar, percussion, vocals
Julian Farias: drums

TINY DESK TEAM
Producers: Bobby Carter, Felix Contreras
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Sofia Seidel
Audio Assistant: Neil Tevault
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Maia Stern, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Pilar Galván, Jill Britton
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #nprmusic #cuco