MJ Lenderman and the Wind rolled into The Van Buren in Phoenix on Monday night, September 8th, in support of their acclaimed 2024 breakthrough album Manning Fireworks. In just a short span, Lenderman has gone from playing clubs to headlining theaters, winning over Neil Young devotees along the way, while also closing the chapter on his time touring with Wednesday, his other well-known band.
MJ Lenderman served up a heavy dose of fuzzy, distorted rock tinged with Southern grit. Frontman Mark Jacob—MJ for short, a nod to his favorite basketball player, Michael Jordan—hails from Asheville, North Carolina. Onstage, he was joined by Jon Samuels on guitar, Landon George on upright bass, Ethan Baechtold on keys, Xandy Chelmis on fiddle, and Colin Miller on drums.
At first glance, the band looked almost unassuming, like a group of college friends who’d just stumbled out of a study session. But the moment they launched into their set, that impression vanished instantly.
Lenderman’s music has struck a chord with an anti-country generation of indie rock fans. His twangy guitar and soft Southern drawl expand the usual indie-rock palette—appealing to listeners who might normally gravitate toward Pavement—while his lyrics twist familiar Southern rock tropes into something closer to parody.
“Joker Lips,” from his 2024 album Manning Fireworks, is a prime example: “Please don’t laugh, only half of what I said was a joke, every Catholic knows he could’ve been pope.” Lenderman may act like he doesn’t take life too seriously—swigging vodka between songs, cracking jokes—but his writing balances heartbreak with tragic humor, shifting seamlessly between sharp wit and quiet reflection. The result is a fresh, layered take on rock that echoes the archives of Neil Young and Wilco.
The 20 song set leaned heavily on Manning Fireworks, with standouts like “Wristwatch” and “She’s Leaving You”—both songs that cemented the band’s recent success while retaining MJ’s trademark twang and wry sensibility. Older favorites made their way in too, from the rollicking “Hangover Game” to “Baseball #2,” a ballad that channeled Alex G’s lo-fi melancholy. “Riptorn” proved another highlight, with violinist Landon George delivering a devastatingly beautiful solo. Even in the most somber moments, fans found themselves moshing by the time the band hit its stride. The band paid tribute to The Wipers’ Greg Sage (who resides in Phoenix) with a cover of “Sacrifice For Love, which felt rejuvenating.
The night seemed to end with “Knockin’,” but soon after, the band returned for an encore, greeted by roaring applause and a cover of “Something There Is About Your” from Bob Dylan’s Planet Waves album. “WE LOVE YOU PHOENIX!” they shouted, closing the show with both energy and warmth. Whether in Lenderman’s high-pitched, tongue-in-cheek “thank you” after a fan professed their love, or in the band’s unrelenting performance, their genuine joy in playing together never wavered.
