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

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