Olivia Rodrigo Makes the DMV Cool in New Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

Singer-songwriter performed stripped down renditions of four Sour hits under that distinct fluorescent glow

Olivia Rodrigo pulled off the seemingly impossible feat of making the DMV a place you’d want to be, performing a stripped-down set of Sour hits at one such location in the latest installment of NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series.

The setting — which Rodrigo described as having some “interesting vibes to it,” to say the least — was an obvious nod to her breakout hit “Drivers License,” which of course featured prominently in the four-song set. While Rodrigo had her backing band on hand, her rendition of “Drivers License” was a fully solo endeavor, with the singer-songwriter belting the aching ballad as she accompanied herself on the piano under the fluorescent glow of the DMV’s lights. 

Rodrigo opened her Tiny Desk set with a full-band, all-acoustic version of her other major Sour smash, “Good 4 U.” A tender rendition of “Traitor” — accentuated with some lonesome slide guitar riffs — followed, while Rodrigo closed things out with an exuberant and electric performance of “Deja Vu.”

Rodrigo’s Tiny Desk dropped one day after she announced a massive 2022 tour in support of Sour. The North American leg of the trek will kick off April 2 in San Francisco and wrap on May 25 in Los Angeles, with Gracie Abrams and Holly Humberstone providing support on select dates.

Sour was released back in May and recently topped Rolling Stone’s Best Albums of 2021 list. Rodrigo also just picked up seven Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year for Sour, and Record and Song of the Year for “Drivers License.”