Tank and The Bangas in Iowa City

Tank and The Bangas are an American band formed in New Orleans in 2011 and led by vocalist, poet and songwriter Tarriona “Tank” Ball. Their music draws on soul, funk, jazz, hip-hop and spoken word; the song “Quick” won them NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2017, while Green Balloon and Red Balloon are among their principal albums. In 2017, the contest win brought Tank and The Bangas to NPR’s headquarters for a Tiny Desk concert. The group later played Coachella and Glastonbury, taking its full-band format to major festivals as well as club and theatre dates. Tank and The Bangas perform with a live ensemble built around rhythm section, keyboards and horns. Songs can move between sung passages, rap and poetry, all led by Tarriona “Tank” Ball.