NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Currently Playing: E.U.: Tiny Desk Concert

Suraya Mohamed | August 27, 2026 At last, we have completed the Mount Rushmore of go-go music: E.U. (aka Experience Unlimited) has blessed the Desk. And the timing couldn't be more perfect! In 2026, the official music of Washington, D.C. celebrates 50 years of heavily syncopated funk. Go-go features a slow and simple groove, but hidden within are dense polyrhythms and interwoven harmonies. On stage, where go-go thrives, songs bleed into one another and the crowd engages in high-energy call and response, a technique with origins in the Black church. Though many other notable bands deserve recognition, the vanguard four — Chuck Brown, Trouble Funk, Rare Essence and E.U. — are an exemplar of this party music. At the Tiny Desk, each band has brought its own distinct approach to go-go and, here, E.U. plays up its rock and roll edge. You might recognize the last song "Da Butt," which was released as a single from the soundtrack to Spike Lee's 1988 film School Daze. After a raucously funky set, we asked E.U. founder, bassist and lead vocalist Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliott what this music means to him. "Go-go is my life," he says. "It's the best music in the world. It's an instant party. You can't stay still. You are part of it as soon as you hear because you move — you can't stay still. It's heavy percussion based. Its call and response. A big, giant party. That's what go-go is to me and to the world." SET LIST "Shake Your Thang" "Oo La La La" "Go Ju Ju Go" "Taste of Your Love" "Bounce!" "E.U. Freeze" "Um Bop Bop" "Da Butt" MUSICIANS Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliott: vocals, bass Tony Cothran: guitar V. Higgz: keys William "JuJu" House: drums Maurice "Mighty Mo" Hagans: percussion Archie Knuckles: trumpet, background vocals Anthony Shields: sax, background vocals Kal-El Gross: background vocals LaWanda: background vocals TINY DESK TEAM Producer: Suraya Mohamed Director/Editor: Maia Stern Audio Engineer/Mix: Neil Tevault Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Mitra I. Arthur Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai Audio Mix: Josh Newell Production Assistant: Dora Levite Photographer: Vanessa Castillo Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Felix Contreras Series Editor: Lars Gotrich Executive Director: Sonali Mehta Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton #nprmusic #tinydesk #eu Support for NPR comes from Moises, the creative suite for musicians, used by over 75 million artists worldwide to learn, create and collaborate. Available for phone, tablet and desktop.