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The LeeVees: Tiny Desk Concert

By Bob Boilen
Published December 7, 2023 at 4:00 AM CST

I came out of retirement for this one!

The LeeVees have been my Hanukkah tradition since 2005, with the release of the group's album Hanukkah Rocks. It's an album I play every year because, honestly, it's hard to find fun-filled songs about latkes and gelt. The LeeVees are led by Adam LeeVee (Adam Gardner), who you may know from his longtime rock band Guster, and David LeeVee (Dave Schneider), who writes songs about ice hockey in his band, The Zambonis.

The LeeVees' first advice for this Tiny Hanukkah party is to loosen up, as the band asks the age-old question I've been wondering my entire life: "How Do You Spell Channukkahh?" We also hear about one of the great debates I grew up with in Brooklyn Jewish culture, in the song "Applesauce vs. Sour Cream." There's much talk about those delicious, oily potato pancakes we feast on this time of year: latkes. As bass player Shawn Fogel says, "This may be the most food ever eaten at a Tiny Desk concert." I made bagels for the crew, our video producer Maia Stern made yummy kugel and the latkes came from a local deli. There certainly is a more serious side to the festival of lights known as Hanukkah, but celebrating the lighter side felt much needed. Happy "Channukkahh" everyone.

SET LIST

  • "How Do You Spell Channukkahh?"
  • "Latke Clan"
  • "Applesauce vs. Sour Cream"
  • "Kugel"


MUSICIANS

  • Dave Schneider: lead vocals, lead guitar
  • Adam Gardner: lead vocals, lead guitar
  • Daniel Saks: keys, vocals
  • Shawn Fogel: bass, vocals
  • Gabrielle Lakshmi: vocals, percussion, toy piano
  • Tim Walsh: drums, vocals


TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producers: Suraya Mohamed, Bob Boilen
  • Director/Editor: Maia Stern
  • Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
  • Series Producer: Bobby Carter 
  • Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Keren Carrión, Kara Frame
  • Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
  • Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
  • Tiny Desk Team: Hazel Cills
  • VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
  • Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Bob Boilen
In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.
See stories by Bob Boilen