Alex G: Tiny Desk Concert

Marissa Lorusso | December 7, 2022
"I don't have a lot to say," Alex Giannascoli, who performs as Alex G, says with a laugh after his first song behind the Tiny Desk. Judging from his discography alone, that's not something you might ordinarily accuse the Philly singer-songwriter of: nine full-length albums in the last dozen years, in addition to a couple EPs and a film soundtrack. His prodigious output of melodic, peculiar indie rock has earned him a cult-beloved status. True, he got to play guitar on a couple Frank Ocean tracks — but for a more accurate indication of the fervor of his fanbase, turn your attention to the internet: the hours-long playlists of unreleased Alex G demos painstakingly assembled by fans on YouTube, for example, or the raucous chatter among his fans on message boards.

At the Tiny Desk, Alex G and his band dialed down the volume for a handful of songs from across his vast discography. They started with a couple songs from his stellar new album, God Save The Animals, and also played some deeper cuts: "Gretel," a wonderfully creepy track from 2019's House of Sugar, and "Snot," the closer from 2015's Beach Music. Under the layers of electronics, experimentation and vocal effects on Alex G's studio records, you might lose sight of Giannascoli's primary strength as a songwriter and the emotional core of his music. But at the Tiny Desk, the stripped-down sound only underscored the sturdiness of his craft — no explanation required.

SET LIST
"Runner"
"Miracles"
"Gretel"
"Snot"

MUSICIANS
Alex Giannascoli: vocals, guitar
Samuel Acchione: guitar, vocals
John Heywood: bass, vocals
Thomas Kelly: drums
Molly Germer: violin, piano

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Marissa Lorusso
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Pierre Kattar, Sofia Seidel, Alanté Serene
Audio Assistant: Natasha Branch
Production Assistant: Jill Britton
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Hazel Cills, Kara Frame, Ashley Pointer
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

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