Westside Boogie: Tiny Desk Concert

Bobby Carter | December 14, 2022 Westside Boogie’s obscure declaration before the final song of his set indicated his detailed knowledge of Tiny Desk concerts. “I gotta be the first person to bring kids to NPR, right? No, I’m not,“ he exclaims. “I gotta be the first one with kids in costumes, though.“ He’s correct. American Football brought a children’s choir to the Desk in 2019, so Boogie added flair to that idea for the climactic end to his show. The “superheroes“ accompanying him for “Silent Ride“ are local Washington D.C. children representing the future. The vulnerable and solemn nature of this Compton poet’s music required minimal adjustment to fit into our space. “Oh My,“ the song that reeled us back to 2015, was atypical of what he does naturally in the booth. He finds comfort in laying bare vivid images of his personal life, much of which delves into his relationship struggles yet beams with self-awareness and self-critic