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

[Thejeffex]

Grande Cuco! It's amazing seeing how far he's gotten since his "Lover is a Day" days. Verdadero talento.

[Gabrieleichen]

Ver al Dr. Simi en Tiny Desk es lo único que me faltaba para morir en paz…

[shawnmcx]

Somebody grew up listening to 'Dark Side of the Moon' a lot.

[ximenaechavarria]

wish “Lover is a Day” was there, still this tiny desk was flawless

[SHEABUDDHA]

This ain't Summertime "Cuco" I discovered in 2018...I'm learning this version of him today. Very interesting 😌

[sidneygreen]

He's grown so much as a vocalist Over the last four years. His progress is amazing to see. I can't wait for more bangers from him 🥰🩷

[rstuartcpa]

I’m going to bet that Cuco is a fan of Pink Floyd.

[chrise.]

This version of Under The Sun with the emphasis on the cumbia at the end honestly made the song 420x better

[fred_sec]

0:00 Pendant
5:39 Hydrocodone
8:32 Feelings
12:38 Under The Sun

[KerringtonF]

Accidentally clicked the notification that started the video — hooked and invested in the first 2 notes. New fan.

[wjeurs]

What a vibe. Never heard of this dude but I hope his album stuff is as chill as this session, if not I'll just keep listening to this while cleaning cooking and doing dishes...😊

[dulce]

if there’s one concert you should go to in your life, it definitely should be his. the vibe and aura from not only him and his band, but from the fans, is a true once in a lifetime experience :’)

[luk_gea]

Esa versión de Pendant me dio escalofríos. Sublime.

[mmtryagain]

I love getting to watch cuco become a whole different human. Glad I’ve been here to see him change in a positive way

[magicmexican]

I've listened to so many of these tiny concert performances and i genuinely think this one is the best

[stevanayb]

SET LIST:
00:00 Pendant
05:35 Hydrocodone
08:32 Feelings
12:12 Cuco’s giving shout-out
12:34 Under the Sun

[Jeece]

I went to his concert last night and it was amazing shi ever and that was my first concert I’ve ever went ^^!!!
Love you Cuco your the best man ^^!!!

[nesandnik]

yes finally!! So freakin proud of you, YOU ARE GLOWING! My boyfriend and I went to your concert as our first date a couple years ago and now we play your songs to our baby 💕 forever a fan

[Wiik]

He estado siguiendo la trayectoría de Cuco por más de 5 años. Y es increíble lo mucho que ha crecido musicalmente en tan poco tiempo!
Una de las mas grandes mentes en la musica en estos tiempos, sus letras y sentimiento en sus canciones están en otro nivel.
Grande Cuco!

[apieceoftoast]

I'm so insanely excited to see Cuco finally get a tiny desk, he deserves it SO MUCH