To say that Tank And The Bangas have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season would be an understatement. Their critically-acclaimed third studio album, Red Balloon, just earned a GRAMMY nod in the Best Progressive R&B Album category. They are in the midst of a residency at New York City’s Blue Note Jazz Club that has already seen them joined onstage by Norah Jones. And to top it all off, the hit the stage this week at the TODAY Show, where they performed their single “Communion In My Cup” in front of one of their biggest fans – our Forever First Lady, Michelle Obama.
For their television performance, lead singer Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Albert Allenbeck, Joshua Johnson and Norman Spence were joined by The Ton3s, who delivered the same soul-stirring vocals that they did on the album cut.
The morning show stage was transformed into Sunday morning church service, much to the delight of Mrs. Obama, who was shown enjoying the performance on the sidelines before congratulating the band at the end of their set. The face-to-face meeting was the epitome of Black Joy personified as all parties seemed a bit starstruck with the band posting an Instagram reel of the special moment with the caption, “Still pinching ourselves.”
Though the band originally dropped the visuals to “Communion In My Cup” back in May, they are breathing new life into the single courtesy of a remix featuring EARTHGANG. Olu and WowGr8’s verses add a sense of urgency to the mid-tempo number as Tank runs down the list of things that can put a smile on her face. The “Communion In My Cup” remix comes on the heels of the band’s latest single, “Anxiety,” which helped draw the Halloween season to a close with its creepy visuals.
Tank And The Bangas will be wrapping up their NYC run this weekend with the closing weekend of their Blue Note residency. They are set to be joined by Big Freedia, Isaiah Sharkey, Kat Edmonson and Brandee Younger.