A lengthy weather delay be damned, one of the best songwriters to come out of Maryland finally made his long-awaited return to the DMV. And he did so in marvelous fashion.
Michael Nau was originally slated to play at The Wharf back in late January. Alas, one of the season’s heaviest snowstorms changed plans for him and anyone who’d been looking forward to seeing him.
But as any of his fans know, Nau and his music are well worth a wait, and that proved to be the case as the Cumberland native eventually made it to Union Stage with his current band the night of April 29.
Though a seated show was a surprise for those who packed into the waterfront venue — including the band leader himself — the setting turned out to be proper for a gorgeous set of tunes pulled from Nau’s solo work and the collaborations he’s co-led over the years.
Accompanied by Mat Davidson, also known as Twain, on electric guitar and a tiny keyboard, Bill Bower on bass, and Parker Schrecengost on drums, Nau shared beautiful cuts from across his own catalogue, including tracks like “Chopping Block Collage” and “Overloader” from his latest EP, released in March.
Listen to the Michael Nau’s latest release, the Chopping Block Collage EP:
With the help of his crew, and with his family in the room, Nau revisited “I Am the Changer,” one of the everlasting songs he and his wife, Whitney, brought to life in the late 2000s as Cotton Jones. He also performed “The Mouth The Foot Keeps Stepping In,” a piece he wrote with Seth Kauffman (Floating Action) as part of their Dream Sitch project.
But those on hand last Wednesday also heard several of the fantastic tracks from 2023’s Accompany — including “Tiny Flakes,” “Painting a Wall,” “Comes to Pour” and a solo take on “Relearn To Boogie” as part of a lovely three-song encore.
The set was more than satisfying for devotees who’d patiently awaited it, and Nau’s soothing presentation made his songs that much more moving for anyone in the room. At its close, even one of the venue staff members wiped tears from her eyes.
“He made me emotional,” she commented as attendees collected themselves to make their way to the merch table to say hello to Nau and his family.
Setlist
Tiny Flakes
The Glass
Chopping Block Collage
Boomtappin
Painting a Wall
I Root
I Am the Changer (Cotton Jones song)
Unwound
?
Wonder
Long Distance Driver
Overloader
Good Thing
Relearn to Boogie
Encore
Comes to Pour
Hoops
The Mouth The Foot Keeps Stepping In (Dream Sitch)
Below are digital photos of Michael Nau and his band along with the night’s opening act, Natalie Jane Hill, performing at Union Stage on April 29, 2026. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
Michael Nau
Natalie Jane Hill
