Naia Izumi, the husky-voiced, nimble-fingered guitarist from L.A. by way of Georgia, is the winner of this year’s Tiny Desk Concert, and NPR just announced the Tiny Desk On the Road Tour, kicking off on May 21 in Brooklyn.
On June 11, Izumi comes to Petaluma for the Bay Area stop of the tour at Lagunitas Taproom, co-presented by KQED and KRCB. This year’s local openers are La Misa Negra, the popular cumbia band known for its boisterous live shows; jazz singer and composer Eki Shola; and one other Bay Area band to be announced.
Izumi has a fascinating life story: his song that won over NPR’s judges, “Soft Spoken,” is about feeling underestimated when he presented as a woman. In an interview with NPR, Izumi was candid about his gender fluidity as well as his experiences living with autism.
Check out Izumi’s winning Tiny Desk Contest entry below and click here for show details and tickets.
