Josiah and the Bonnevilles brought their 2026 tour to the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on June 24th. Maybe you were introduced to Josiah back in 2008 when he had a short run on The Voice, but me, not being an ardent follower of the television show, missed that experience of his. It might have been something on Nashville’s Lightning 100 radio, my go-to for discovering new and interesting musicians, where I finally came upon Josiah and the Bonnevilles. And I have been trying to catch him in a live performance ever since but our travels have not aligned — that is, until last night.
The night opened with Brenna MacMillan, the band’s banjo player, playing a solo acoustic set anchored by her original composition “Used to Live Here” — a bit of Kentucky bluegrass by an accomplished banjo player. Max Alan followed, also solo acoustic, including originals “Jericho” and “Sky Blue,” and closing with a cover of Springsteen’s “Fire.” A strong country voice, unhurried and confident. Both played thirty minutes and satisfied a crowd anticipating the main act. What followed was a set that moved from Americana folk to rock to piano ballad and back again reflecting Josiah’s many influences — Dylan, The Smiths, Coldplay, Neil Young — and showcasing his ability to put all those together into a live performance that has led to a strong following. The floor at the 9:30 Club had little room for anyone showing up late.
Throughout the night Josiah engaged with the audience through personal stories, sharing where the songs came from — how “Please” got written when he volunteered to paint a friend’s apartment and immediately regretted it, how the voice at the opening of “Another Day At The Factory” is actually his father’s. That song came from the period he spent working at an Amazon warehouse in Lebanon, Tennessee, writing demos on Patreon before he could afford to make music again. He moved to the piano for “One Last Song” from Endurance — which he introduced as one of his first compositions — and “Youth and Dreams” from As Is. Two quieter songs that held the room without asking it to settle down. Then switched gears again with “Please” from 2018’s On Trial with a hard-driving, rocking version of a song who’s original album version could have passed for an unreleased Dylan track. “Hell Without the Flames” followed with more gut than the studio cut, the room fully locked in.
As Is is out now on Rounder Records. Josiah and the Bonnevilles are on tour through the summer — find dates and more at josiahandthe.com.
A curated pick by Planet Mars Music Editorial Staff and crafted with the help of AI