Singer and guitarist Aaron Lee Tasjan has spent the last few years continuing to develop and share his experimental, yet warmingly familiar Americana rock sound as a solo artist. Tasjan was one of the latest artists to take part in NPR‘s “Tiny Desk Concert” series, and his three-song office performance at the radio station’s oiffice headquarters was shared on Tuesday.
Aaron and his backing trio comprised of drummer Seth Earnest, guitarist Brian Wright, and bassist Tommy Scifres delivered three songs from Tasjan’s 2018 studio album, Karma For Cheap. The 15-minute set begins with a performance of “Songbird”. The groovy flow of the easygoing tune is a wonderful contrast to the sharp, almost piercing tone of Wright’s electric guitar. It may be January, but the warmth of the rock song almost makes the listener feel like they’re strolling through the park on another warm, sunny afternoon in mid-July. Next comes “End of the Day”, another song with 1960’s flower power spirit to go with modernized song structure. Tasjan plays predominantly with electric instruments these days, but hearing the strum-friendly flow to the song reveals that he’s still an acoustic songwriter at heart.
Tasjan wastes no time in tearing into the opening riff of the performance’s final song, “Set You Free”. The semi-psychedelic 1960’s rock sound is more than evident with the help of his 12-string guitar. The song initially sounds more like The Byrds on speed rather than something out of today’s music scene. Yet, Tasjan has made a career thus far by translating his love for classic rock tones and styles into his own interpretations of modernized rock. Fans can tune into the video below to watch the performance at Bob Boilen‘s desk in full.
Aaron Lee Tasjan – Tiny Desk Concert
[Video: NPR]
Tasjan spent most of 2018 on tour with appearances at notable music events including Atlanta’s Sweetwater 420 Festival, San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and Tennessee’s Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, just to name a few. He’ll head out on his 2019 winter-into-spring world tour beginning later this week with an appearance at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida on January 18th. Fans can head over to his website for ticketing information.