Tyler Ballgame: Live From KCRW HQ

Tyler Ballgame’s rise feels almost mythic: five years ago he was in Rhode Island fronting a scrappy indie band, and now he’s arrived in Los Angeles with a debut that swings big and wears its influences proudly. During a recent session at KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio, Ballgame brought his signature theatricality (think David Bowie and the emotional force of Roy Orbison) filtered through a sun-soaked California lens. 2026 debut For The First Time, Again leans into a richly analog, ’70s rock palette—full of horns, warm guitars, and lived-in pianos—all in service of his striking voice. It’s a debut that doesn’t just introduce Tyler Ballgame—it announces him. For the First Time, Again: 00:00-03:39 Sing How I Feel: 03:40-07:02 Help Me Out: 07:03-10:27 Live It Down: 10:28-14:15 Got a New Car: 14:16-17:52 That Was Then: 17:53-22:00 Ooh: 22:01-26:26 I Believe In Love: 26:27-30:49 Let You Down: 30:50-34:59 I Know: 35:00-38:22 Matter of Taste: 38:23-42:39 Goodbye My Love: 42:40-45:56 Band: Lead/Vocals, Tyler Perry Rhythm Guitar, Clay Fuller Piano, Max Cominos Drums, Amy Wood Bass, Wayne Whittaker Lead Guitar, Sam Small KCRW Music Senior Producer, Adelaide Sandstrom A2 / FOH, Hope Brush A2 / FOH, Nick Lampone Lead Recording Engineer, Katie Gilchrest Lighting Designer, Jack Arthur Video Director, Beau Delmore Camera Op 1, Carlos Medina Executive Producer , Ariana Morgenstern VP of Music Content, Alejandro Cohen Social Media Lead, Tohar Zamir KCRW Session Host, Novena Carmel Enjoy this session? Support KCRW's mission to share music with the world. Our non-profit radio station in Santa Monica, California has supported musicians and DJs for more than 40 years. Help us continue our music programming by donating whatever you can: https://kcrw.com/give http://www.kcrw.com Music | Culture | News | NPR