When Missy Dabice sings, the words course through her entire body. Just as quickly as she screams about the cyclical nature of lust, she whispers her heartbreak and longing. Mannequin Pussy lives between those two spaces: the raw ferocity of feminine rage and the quiet moments of hopeless vulnerability. "I want to be a danger," she sighs. "I want to be adored."
When an artist comes to the Tiny Desk, they often seize upon the opportunity to reimagine their music. Here, a string quartet helps to crack these songs wide open, swelling with urgency and overflowing with emotion. "I Don't Know You" and "Split Me Open," in particular, soar with lush string arrangements, yet don't stray from the songs' uninhibited and deeply relatable appetite to be desired.
If, like me, Mannequin Pussy's Romantic found a way into your tender heart 10 years ago; thankfully, the band commemorates the anniversary by performing the title track with nostalgic appreciation. But the highlight of the show, just before "Loud Bark," lies in Dabice's deep acknowledgement of how it feels to be human right now: the pain, the grief and the sadness that swirls inside of us.
"Your rage is a part of you and you have to honor it. Give it the space to breathe," says Dabice, before she leads the audience in a primal, cathartic scream.
SET LIST
- "I Don't Know You"
- "Split Me Open"
- "Loud Bark"
- "Romantic"
MUSICIANS
- Missy Dabice: vocals, guitar
- Maxine Steen: guitar, keys
- Colins "Bear" Regisford: bass
- Kaleen Reading: drums
- Shaan Ramaprasad: violin, music director, string arrangements
- Ashley Parham: violin
- Kyung Leblanc: viola
- Juliano Bitonti: cello
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Dora Levite
- Director/Editor: Maia Stern
- Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame
- Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
- Production Assistant: Dhanika Pineda
- Photographer: Vanessa Castillo
- Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Felix Contreras
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
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