The intimate Atlantis in DC recently proved a fitting stage for rising indie-folk artist Brenn! Touring in support of his debut full-length album, Amateur at Best, the 20-year-old Alabama native demonstrated that behind his social media success lies a charismatic frontman with an energizing spirit.
The venue choice was perfect for Brenn! As one fan put it, this may be the last time to see him for an affordable price in such an intimate setting. For an artist who has amassed more than 200 million streams, about 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and a strong social media following, playing in such a venue almost felt out of the ordinary. The naturally claustrophobic atmosphere complemented Brenn!’s vibe of music played by a group of friends in a small room.
At The Atlantis on Sept. 29, the stage was bathed in warm, static lighting as Brenn! emerged alone and took his place at the keyboard. He opened with “Like You Do Now,” a softer ballad from Amateur at Best. The band slowly joined Brenn! onstage and transitioned into “Homerun,” a heavier track driven by forceful strumming and powerful percussion. As the audience joined Brenn! in singing the chorus, the desperate lyrics about hitting a home run or going home seemed to bring the crowd together.
Watch the official lyric video for “Like You Do Now” by Brenn! on YouTube:
What makes Brenn! truly stand out from a standard performance is the disarming banter he engages in with the audience. Rather than relying on scripted crowd work, Brenn! leaned heavily into his Southern roots and discussed how it was only that day that he learned Washington, DC, was not a state but a district. He addressed the educational differences between his hometown and the Northeast, saying, “They teach you about Taco Casa in Tuscaloosa. They teach you about Bryant-Denny Stadium, Nick Saban, and they don’t teach you about anywhere else.”
He continued by telling the crowd he had also learned DC was part of an area called the DMV.
This candid, self-deprecating storytelling fit perfectly into Brenn!’s set as he led into the title track of his new album, Amateur at Best. By presenting himself as a self-described “idiot and a little bit of a loser,” he lowered the tension in the room.
“I feel like I’m not very good at anything that I do, so I named my album Amateur at Best,” he said.
As the set progressed, DC geography once again came up. Before playing “Upstate,” the title track of his 2025 EP, he reasoned that since DC is north of Alabama, the city counted as “upstate” for the sake of the song.
The climax of the night came during the final stretch of the set, starting with “Days on End” and followed quickly by “Franklin House.” “Days on End” was a turning point for the energy of the show, with the audience becoming deafening as nearly every attendee sang along.
That amped-up energy gave way to something more melancholy with “Franklin House,” a song exploring the painful realization that trying to save someone can sometimes result in breaking them further. The live execution was especially powerful during the final chants of, “I will survive, but I’ll never recover.”
Following a brief exit, the band returned for an anticipated two-song encore. The night concluded with the song that completely altered the trajectory of Brenn!’s life, “4runner.”
Originally released in 2023, the track became a viral sensation, famously accompanied by a video Brenn! filmed in which he broke both ankles while attempting a backflip. The live performance of “4runner” proved to be a showcase for everything the band had built throughout the night. The song slowly built tension before exploding, with the crowd fully participating in the release.
Watch Brenn! perform “4runner” live from Alabama on YouTube:
By embracing the imperfections at the heart of Amateur at Best, Brenn! showed that he refuses to be defined by his internet origins. Embracing his Southern roots and surrounding himself with a talented live band, Brenn! delivered an excellent show.
Setlist
“Like You Do Now”
“Homerun”
“Footing”
“Upstate”
“Amateur at Best”
“Midwest, I’ll Be Back”
“Valparaiso”
“Shiver”
“Rookie of the Year”
“Rearview”
“Brand New Car”
“Looking For”
“Somehow Made It Out”
“Water”
“Days on End”
“Franklin House”
“Too Much”
“4runner”
All photographs from Brenn!’s performance at The Atlantis on Sept. 29, 2026, are copyright and courtesy of Caden Forrester (@flicksby4ster)
