MJ Lenderman live at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC review

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MJ Lenderman typically doesn’t follow a predetermined playlist; instead, he prefers to gauge the mood of the audience and perform songs that seem appropriate for the moment. Given this approach, it’s clear that the up-and-coming singer-songwriter from Asheville picked up on the electric atmosphere at Washington’s 9:30 Club on Thursday night.

Straight off the bat, he and his group, The Wind, kicked things into high gear with a powerful series of four songs: “Rudolph,” “Inappropriate,” “Toontown,” and “Suv.” These tunes showcase his raw, grungy style at its best.

As a devoted fan, it’s important to clarify that just because three out of the four songs he played were from his earlier albums doesn’t mean that 2024’s critically acclaimed “Manning Fireworks” was overlooked. During the concert, The Wind graced us with an enormous backdrop of the album cover and, rest assured, every track from “Manning Fireworks” was on the playlist and performed later in the show.

MJ Lenderman delivers sprawling and amazing show in DC

However, Lenderman pointed out that, with their busy performance schedule, they need to come up with ways to maintain the excitement for their audience.

On Thursday, they blasted through a total of 24 songs in less than two hours, representing various stages of Lenderman’s productive career, which may have been brief but certainly not sparse in output.

As I stood outside the club, waiting for my turn to go in, several concert attendees reminisced about having seen Wilco perform at the same venue before. It’s not shocking that Lenderman draws a crowd who are fans of Wilco, since the 26-year-old artist shares similarities with Jeff Tweedy in his ability to craft poignant depictions of loneliness, purposelessness, and intense emotion. In an instant, his music can transition from country ballads to powerful, jam-band style performances.

The depth of this transformation was most evident in “Bark at the Moon,” a soft, country-style ballad that concludes the album, Manning Fireworks. Initially, it appears to be a lighthearted song about romantic hardship (“I could really use your two cents, dear – I could really use some change”), but it gradually transforms into a whirling maelstrom of sound that eventually becomes the gritty blast of “I Ate Too Much at the Fair,” from 2021’s Ghost of Your Guitar Solo.

As a gamer, I spent most of the night rocking back and forth on the seesaw with The Wind, just like old times. We were serenaded by the crowd singing popular tunes from their latest album, including “Joker Lips” and the hit title track. On that song, not about Peyton or Eli Manning, I even pulled out an acoustic guitar to add to the music.

1. He asserted that it was an unfamiliar task, a method he employs to maintain his curiosity. The instrument made appearances in “Rip Torn” and “Manning Fireworks,” and was allowed to take the remainder of the evening off.

2. He stated that it represented something novel for him – one of those actions he uses to stay engaged. The gadget cropped up in “Rip Torn” and “Manning Fireworks,” and was granted the rest of the night as a break.

3. He admitted that it was fresh territory for him, one of his strategies to keep his enthusiasm alive. The device surfaced on “Rip Torn” and “Manning Fireworks,” and was permitted to take the rest of the evening off.

4. He acknowledged that it was a new challenge for him – a tactic he utilizes to fuel his motivation. The contraption popped up in “Rip Torn” and “Manning Fireworks,” and was allowed to relax for the rest of the night.

On select acoustic tunes, bassist Landon George switched to a violin; later, during the initial encore of the night, he returned to it for “Turkey Brothers Jam.” This number, played in Washington, D.C., saw Landon urging the audience not to relinquish their struggle against fascism.

At the end of the evening, Lenderman performed a couple of remakes. First up was “Something There is About You,” originally by Bob Dylan on his 1973 album titled “Planet Waves“. Following that, he played “Dancing in the Club”, a track from Nate Amos and This is Lorelei’s collection of songs.

For the second time that evening, the crowd was treated to “Dancing in the Club.” Amos, a New York-based musician, kicked off the night as an opener for Lenderman. He played the song with This is Lorelei, and then made his way back onto the stage approximately three hours later to collaborate with The Wind on their cover.

It’s quite apparent why Lenderman and Amos appreciate each other’s musical styles. They both create unique mixtures that stem from a foundation in singer-songwriter tunes but venture off to diverse, unanticipated destinations. In essence, Amos’ sound is reminiscent of Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson, if he had employed contemporary sound technology instead of maintaining a deliberately low-fi style in the ’90s post-punk rock era.

The outcomes can be quite remarkable, as seen in “I’m All Fd Up” and the slightly skewed ’60s psychedelia of “Two Legs.” Despite Amos’s extensive use of tape effects, Lorelei’s music primarily relies on strong songwriting and the rhythms established by drummer Bailey Wollowitz and bassist Al Nardo, both previously from Sloppy Jane and Water From Your Eyes.

For the remainder of his extensive performance, Lenderman played a version of Patterson Hood’s “Uncle Disney” and a few of his older songs that mention sports celebrities, such as “Hangover Game” (referencing Michael Jordan) and “Knockin'” (John Daly). Additionally, he performed the seldom-heard “Live Jack,” which depicts Jack Nicholson at a Lakers game.

To sum up, it was an extraordinary musical adventure. Lenderman and Lorelei performed another sold-out show at 9:30 on Friday night, followed by additional East Coast dates. Towards the end of the month, they’ll travel to the UK for a short tour.

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2025-05-16 16:00