Daniel Nunnelee Brings a Passionate Energy to Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2024

Nashville native Daniel Nunnelee stopped at The Atlantis in Washington D.C. to put the “rock” in folk rock Monday.

Nunnelee released his debut album, June, Baby, in June and embarked on the eponymous tour in August. The record’s contemplative storytelling and freeing sound was taken to a new level in Nunnelee’s spirited and intoxicating live performance.

Nunnelee via @danielnunnelee on Instagram. Photo by Brian Mecinas.

After a head-bobbing opening set by indie artist Shane T, who got the crowd in a lively mood with his witty humor, Nunnelee began his set with the opening of “Are You Proud Of Me.” The sound bite of his grandma singing Willie Nelson’s “It’s My Lazy Day” set the tone for a passionate performance.

The energy of the room became electric as Nunnelee entered clad in a cropped, loose knit sweater and low rise jeans with a rhinestone-studded belt and started performing “Do You.” Backdropped by a large tapestry with “June, Baby” stitched on, he set the bar high with note changes, an added guitar solo, and a loud, drum-heavy extended outro. 

The show continued with “Deer Trails,” the lead single from June, Baby, and “Pick N Choose.” While introducing the latter, Nunnelee told the story of how after releasing “Pick N Choose,” he received feedback along the lines of “Can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.” The crowd laughed as he explained there was no “rest of the album” at the time. Yet two years later, he would find himself touring the now-existing record with a crowd singing along. The normally folksy outro of “Pick N Choose” was replaced with a more sonically dense version, a trend that would carry through the rest of his set.

After playing a “rock n’ roll” version of “Let It Out,” a track he said wasn’t originally on the set list but a fan at a previous show requested, Nunnelee traded his electric guitar for an acoustic one with a rope-like strap. As he sang “Edge of Eternity,” a song he said was about being an “avoidant person,” he exuded as much — if not more — emotion as in the recorded version. Other more laid-back tracks like “Why Don’t You Just Come Over” were performed with beautiful vocals and an overwhelming passion from Nunnelee as he closed his eyes and stomped his foot. 

Throughout the night, fan interactions became a staple in the show. Nunnelee expressed his excitement about being back in the D.C. area and asked if anyone in the crowd was at his show in Silver Spring, Maryland last year. Members of the audience piped up and shared the various other times they saw him perform like at the DC9 Nightclub or in Baltimore. These personal interactions were an apt introduction to “ily ily ily,” an entrancingly tender song that ends with the Portuguese lyrics, “Te amei, te amo, te amarei eternamente,” which translate to “I loved you, I love you, I will love you forever.” The performance of “ily ily ily” also showcased Nunnelee’s chemistry with his band, consisting of drummer Luke Saison and bassist Ian Shaw. Saison could be seen singing along to himself before he entered and Nunnelee danced playfully toward Shaw. 

The tour poster for the June, Baby tour via @danielnunnelee on Instagram.

To introduce a section of the set with older songs, Nunnelee joked that writing three songs about a girl who broke his heart was “insane,” but at least he “got some songs out of being a little crazy.” Purple light flooded the stage as he played the opening notes of “Rooftops at Sunset” from his 2021 EP It’s Okay It Has to Be. The talented musician he is, Nunnelee delivered an impressive mouth trombone solo in lieu of his real trombone, which he said got crushed by a monitor a few nights prior.

The It’s Okay It Has to Be portion of the night proved fruitful in terms of fan interactions, as a crowd member shared their “Wrong To You” inspired tattoo and another fan requested “Listening.” Despite some hesitation by Shaw, Nunnelee and the band played “Listening” for the first time on the June, Baby tour, resulting in a broken guitar string but a stunning performance. 

“Colorado” was next on the setlist, a song Nunnelee said “manifested change” in his life. He described how writing “Colorado” prompted him to quit the job he hated selling boots and find a new producer who helped move his music career along. The performance got the crowd swaying all the way through “Put Me In The Ground,” the last song before leaving the stage for the first time. 

Nunnelee reemerged for the encore shortly after and began with “Are You Proud Of Me?,” the closing track on June, Baby and a song about his parents. He changed the lyrics from “I’ll be playing these sold-out shows at the Ryman, Fillmore, you list it / Maybe even the Orpheum in Memphis” to “Maybe even the 9:30 Club in D.C.,” the venue attached to The Atlantis. 

He closed the hour-long set with “Oak Trees,” his most popular song. Fans were dancing with each other in the pit as Nunnelee sang “So don’t cry about me / ‘Cause I know where I’ll be.” 

After the show, Nunnelee swapped the stage for the floor and stuck around to chat with fans. From beginning to end, you could tell that Nunnelee is an artist who prioritizes his fans and puts his heart into every performance. 

The tour will continue through Nov. 9 and Nunnelee will co-headline with Bendigo Fletcher for the final nine shows. You can purchase tickets here.