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In a room full of people named Daniel, what will it take to be crowned the ultimate Daniel? In the case of Real Estate, who hosted the album release show for their latest studio album Daniel in Brooklyn, having a single member in the band named Daniel wasn’t necessary. At the show, which was only open to people with some variation of the name — Danny, Danielle, Danimals Yogurt — Real Estate opened and closed their set with their rendition of Elton John‘s 1973 single “Daniel.”
The band members weren’t the only non-Daniels at the Daniel show. Each approved Daniel invited to the free show was permitted to bring one guest of any name. Daniel marks Real Estate’s sixth studio album and was produced by musician Daniel Tashian, so they can at least say that they know a Daniel.
In between John’s “Daniel,” Real Estate performed a career-spanning set. The setlist featured “Somebody New,” “Haunted World,” “Freeze Brain,” and “Water Underground” from Daniel, as well as “Paper Cup” from 2020’s The Main Thing and “Darling” from 2017’s In Mind. Atlas singles “Had to Hear” and “Talking Backwards” also made the cut alongside “It’s Real” from Days.
“Daniel is out today! What else can we say? We love this record – we are so proud,” the band wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen – too numerous to list here. Listen to it everywhere – and if you like it, come out and support us on tour! See you soon.”
In celebration of the album’s release, Real Estate posed for a photo in front of their wall of Daniels. In December, the band started the monthly unveiling of a Daniel of the Month.
Their first pick was Daniel Radcliffe. “We’ve reached out to his people for comment but at press time we haven’t heard back,” they noted. The next was Daniel Dumille, the late musician best known as MF Doom, who Real Estate described as: “A “secret” Daniel who made some of the greatest music of the past 20 years and looked cool as hell while doing it.”
February’s Daniel of the Month award has been presented to the actor Daniel Stern, or as Real Estate describes him, “our favorite kleptomaniacal, city slicking, wonder years narrating, rookie of the year.”