MJ Lenderman & The Wind Roll Through DC
BY LIA PATENTASI didn’t expect much when MJ Lenderman and his band, The Wind, walked on stage. Hot off the heels of a mostly sold-out month of touring, there wasn’t much fanfare; the musicians assumed their positions on stage and immediately slipped right into song, kicking off the impressive 22-song setlist with “Wristwatch.” I tend to look at setlists beforehand to prepare myself for shows, and to my delight, I realized that the setlist shuffled around every night. I was on my toes in anticipation of every track.
The band’s live performance elevates the emotional intensity of the songs in a way I didn’t expect. Extended intros and outros let the songs linger long enough for the emotions of the songs to overtake the audience. I noticed this first during the transition from “Rudolph” to “Inappropriate,” where the songs transitioned seamlessly and so naturally. Lenderman didn’t talk between songs much, except to bring down the energy after “She’s Leaving You,” before “Rip Torn.” He dedicated the song to the “men in black of DC,” referencing a line from the song.
Before “Pianos,” Lenderman made a point to remind the audience that he and a few of the band members are from Asheville, North Carolina and that many of their family and friends back home are still rebuilding from the damage left behind from Hurricane Helene. He mentions that this track is only available on a compilation album on Bandcamp, where the proceeds go towards hurricane relief efforts.
The show continued with songs from the 2022 album Boat Songs, as well as deep cuts from earlier releases. A highlight for me was that they played the full 10 minutes of “Bark at the Moon,” with the 6-minute droning guitar outro which bled right into the devastating next track, “No Mercy,” which was much more stripped back from the wall of sound we were given minutes before.
I loved how the live performance of every song was so different from the studio versions. This was especially evident with the song “Dan Marino,” which was taken from being a lo-fi guitar track to an electric band performance that people could dance to. Finally, to close out the night, Lenderman said “As it gets closer and closer to Halloween, this song gets scarier,” and ended the show with a cover of “Werewolves of London.” I smiled throughout the entire show. The energy in the room was just right and the performance was so captivating.
MJ Lenderman & The Wind continues the Manning Fireworks Tour in Europe in November and will tour in the US again in Winter/Spring 2025.
