Tiny Desk Concert winners discuss new found success and more
New Orleans own Tank and the Bangas have been riding high following their recent win for their video submission to NPR's 2017 Tiny Desk Concert (see below). They beat out over 6,000 entries to (unanimously) win the contest- and they've been amassing a larger and larger fan base along the way.
On Saturday, June 17th they will be bringing their beautiful idiosyncratic musical mixture of R&B, funk and spoken word to the Urban Artifact Sanctuary with the very talented Divinity Roxx (Beyonce/Victor Wooten) and the poetic and even flowing Cincy locals, Super Origami.
I had a chance to shoot with Tarriona "Tank" Bell (lead vocals) about their recent success and future releases.
Jeremy Moore: When you made the NPR Tiny Desk Concert video, what did you expect? Did you know at the time that you captured a performance that would effect the judges and your new and widely spreading audience?
Tank- "Not one bit! I actually did not expect anything. There were so many entries I did not think that we will be looked at. Thank God I was wrong. I've never been so happy to be so wrong"
JM: I got the opportunity to catch you at Maudie's a few years back- it was a venue on top of a pizza shop in our Over the Rhine entertainment district- what was your impression of Cincinnati?
Tank: Sometimes you just hear the name of a place and you don't think that people will be excited to hear you. I love to be surprised in that way. Cincinnati is one of those places.
JM: The final song on your album "Think Tank" - "Instructions on Being" was a refreshingly honest first person theatrical poetic telling of a wide range of emotional topics in a very somber tone. There's a definite flow of honesty, beauty and tragedy throughout that album and I left with a changed perception about some of my own trials and tribulations. How does it feel, with your new-found success, to have your poetry and music reach and affect a wider audience?
Tank: Thank you so much. I feel the same way every time I hear it. The only thing you can hope for is that your music is touching people in an emotional life-altering way in the same way that music and poetry has touched my life.
JM: Do the members of Tank enjoy getting to try different cities' local food spots?
Tank: A lot of us go pretty safe when it comes down to the food! if it's not chicken, it's Chinese if it's not Chinese it’s Jamaican food. A good old fashioned Burger will do too! Everywhere we go we look for who has the best Jamaican food because it always feels like home! Oxtails are the best!"
JM: What can we expect with your next release? Also, how does it feel to have the freshest hair in the music biz right now?
Tank: I wrote a lot of music while in London and at home. So they can expect to definitely dance and hear heart stirring poems but with a funny Twist on things because I've learned to make light of myself more because of the people that I'm around. I don't want to hear anyone's album but my own right now so I can't wait to get that out to my friends and fans that have been with me from the beginning.
LOL I've always had the freshest hair in music no one knew about it! my hair stylist used to be an art student so she practically sculpts the hair and enjoys doing it too! I'm very connected to my hair, if it's not right I'm not right!"
Catch Tank and the Bangas at Urban Artifact on Saturday, June 17th with Divinity Roxx & Super Origami.
Pre-sale tickets are almost sold out so be sure to snag some now HERE! The show will be held at Northside's Urban Artifact in their upstairs sanctuary on June 17th. Doors at 7pm, show at 8pm.
More on Divinity Roxx:
Divinity Roxx is an American recording artist, composer, and musician. Her work includes elements of rhythm and blues, hip hop, funk, soul, and rock. As a rapper and bassist, her performances have been reviewed as radical and distinctive because of her unique ability to combine vigorous bass lines with simultaneous tongue-twisting yet authoritative rapping.
She is best known for touring and performing with Beyoncé Knowles (2006–2011) as her bassist and Musical Director for "The Beyoncé Experience" and "I Am... World Tour". On the "I Am...Sasha Fierce" World tour, Divinity also helped compose music alongside Bibi McGill, Brittani Washington and Rie Tsuji. She has appeared in three DVDs with Beyoncé including The Beyoncé Experience Live, I Am... Sasha Fierce, and I Am... Yours.
Divinity has performed with Beyonce at The White House for President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama during a State Dinner for the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon. She also performed with Beyonce during her Glastonbury performance.
She has also performed on the Grammy's, The BET Awards, MTV Music Awards, Ellen, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Saturday Night Live, Good Morning America, The Today Show and countless other television shows with Beyonce.
In 2014, Divinity played bass on The Arsenio Hall Show and The Queen Latifah Show with Atlanta born rapper, B.o.B.. Divinity has also appeared on Big Morning Buzz Live With Nick Lachey and The Wendy Williams Show with singer [K.Michelle]
* source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divinity_Roxx
More On Super Origami:
"Futuristic gangster funk" duo Super Origami blends spoken word, funk and elements of R&B/Rap into a beautiful collage of layers and sounds.
Sheldon Belcher and Jennifer Simone provide introspective lyrics to go along with the unique sound.
