Despite technical difficulties, six bands still impressed audiences at MUSE’s Mini Desk.
On Sept. 23, MUSE Magazine returned to The Mansion for the fall ’25 edition of its Mini Desk series, bringing together six student and local bands in an intimate show. Inspired by National Public Radio (NPR)’s Tiny Desk, the event has become a staple in Queen’s music scene. This year, musical acts Lee Sadja, Xavier + Noah, Twotime, RevZed, LHRK, and Last Call took to the stage, giving audiences a front-row view of emerging Kingston talent.
Queen’s musicians were put to the test by technical difficulties. After being delayed by over half an hour, Lee Sadja, ArtSci ’26, playing his first gig, finally opened the show at 9 p.m. with a solo performance of songs by John Mayer and The Beatles. “I’m very, very stoked. It’s a pretty big moment for me, honestly,” Sadja said in an interview with The Journal.
The next act, Xaiver + Noah, consisted of Xavier Lauriault, ArtSci ’28 and Noah Wright, Sci ’28. “I like to think of it [performing] as an exam,” Wright said in an interview with The Journal. “As long as I prepare beforehand, I feel ready,” he said.
However, nothing could’ve prepared the duo for screeching amps and microphones losing power, which plagued them throughout the set. Despite this, they powered on through an impressive cover of Slaughter Beach, Dog’s “Acolyte” and an original track, “Don’t Call It (Curtains).”
After painful feedback and over an hour in delays, a large part of the crowd began trickling out after Xaiver + Noah’s set. But those who stayed were in for a treat. The rock band Twotime took the stage wearing tinfoil hats in a playful nod to TikTok’s recent “rapture” trend. The whole set was fun and upbeat, engaging the crowd after a frustrating start to the evening with popular covers like “Kilby Girl” by The Backseat Lovers.
Bringing a similar upbeat energy was next act, RevZed. Made up of Andrew Nasso, ArtSci ’26, Jack Blurton, CompSci ’26, J.P Ingram, ConEd ’27, Haluka Matsuura, ConEd ’27, and Callan Robinson, Sci ’25, the band drove home excellent covers from bands like the Arctic Monkeys and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Even as the Mansion experienced a temporary blackout during RevZed’s cover of “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis, the group was unphased, restarting the song with full force once the lights were fixed.
After so many technical issues, the penultimate act, LHRK, hoped to “just come out of [the night] knowing that we did the best we could have done,” said singer Brandon Liang, Sci ’26, in an interview with The Journal. Their rendition of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” was a highlight, and their closing cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow” had the crowd swaying and singing along. Last Call took the stage around 12:30 a.m., nearly two hours after their scheduled performance time. The band kept energy high during the set, obliging the cheering crowd’s demands for an encore with a cover of Blondie’s “Call Me.”
The impact of technical difficulties on the bands wasn’t lost on organizers. “Obviously, it was frustrating,” MUSE’s Head of Music Kate Bassett, ArtSci ’26, said in an interview with The Journal. “I felt terrible for the bands, but I think overall everyone had a good time, and that’s what mattered,” she said.
Going forward, MUSE will be exploring other possible venues, and is considering a reduced number of musicians on the lineup, Bassett said.
Despite derailments by a slew of audio-visual issues, audience members who stuck around until the end were rewarded with great music the whole night through.
Tags
bands, Culture, mini desk, MUSE, Music, Student bands, The Mansion
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