Militarie Gun: Tiny Desk Concert
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Dora Levite | March 27, 2026
There's a misconception that a Tiny Desk performance needs to be quiet, stripped back and acoustic. When thinking about how Militarie Gun could pack its explosive-yet-melodic rock anthems into our cramped space, we asked the band to lean into the loud. As a result, lead singer Ian Shelton vibrates in this space, his energy filling it out as gang vocals surround him.
Originally a solo project for Shelton, who also fronts Regional Justice Center, Militarie Gun's hooky and punky songs brim with empathetic, vulnerable and often self-effacing lyrics. As he mentions at the Desk, most of his music explores growing up around addiction and what recovery could look like alongside those you love. Tracks like Don't Pick Up the Phone and Thought You Were Waving evoke that sentiment. But there's a playfulness here, too: Keep an ear out during Throw Me Away, which features a totally unexpected Third Eye Blind interpolation.
SET LIST
B A D I D E A
God Owes Me Money
Throw Me Away
Don't Pick Up the Phone
Thought You Were Waving
Do It Faster
MUSICIANS
Ian Shelton: vocals
Will Acuña: guitar, background vocals
Kevin Kiley: guitar, background vocals
Waylon Trim: bass, background vocals
David Stalsworth: drums
Joey Mullen: conga, bongos, percussion
Sean Harvey: keys, background vocals
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: Alanté Serene
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
#nprmusic #tinydesk #militariegun
Support for NPR Music comes from Moises. A platform created by musicians, for musicians and used by 70 million artists worldwide – to learn, create, and collaborate. Available for download.
There's a misconception that a Tiny Desk performance needs to be quiet, stripped back and acoustic. When thinking about how Militarie Gun could pack its explosive-yet-melodic rock anthems into our cramped space, we asked the band to lean into the loud. As a result, lead singer Ian Shelton vibrates in this space, his energy filling it out as gang vocals surround him.
Originally a solo project for Shelton, who also fronts Regional Justice Center, Militarie Gun's hooky and punky songs brim with empathetic, vulnerable and often self-effacing lyrics. As he mentions at the Desk, most of his music explores growing up around addiction and what recovery could look like alongside those you love. Tracks like Don't Pick Up the Phone and Thought You Were Waving evoke that sentiment. But there's a playfulness here, too: Keep an ear out during Throw Me Away, which features a totally unexpected Third Eye Blind interpolation.
SET LIST
B A D I D E A
God Owes Me Money
Throw Me Away
Don't Pick Up the Phone
Thought You Were Waving
Do It Faster
MUSICIANS
Ian Shelton: vocals
Will Acuña: guitar, background vocals
Kevin Kiley: guitar, background vocals
Waylon Trim: bass, background vocals
David Stalsworth: drums
Joey Mullen: conga, bongos, percussion
Sean Harvey: keys, background vocals
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: Alanté Serene
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
#nprmusic #tinydesk #militariegun
Support for NPR Music comes from Moises. A platform created by musicians, for musicians and used by 70 million artists worldwide – to learn, create, and collaborate. Available for download.