Concert Review: MJ Lenderman & The Wind at ACL Weekend One
Riding the wave of his rising popularity, MJ Lenderman and his backing band, The Wind, treated the first day of Austin City Limits weekend one to an hour of brilliantly irrational slacker rock.
Written by Joseph Gonzalez
Photo courtesy of Mikala Compton
Most known for his role in alt-country group Wednesday, guitarist and Asheville native MJ Lenderman achieved his most mainstream success yet as a solo artist with the release of last year’s Manning Fireworks. On Friday, Oct. 6, he made his ACL debut to a generous crowd. Several thousand strong waited for the droning poet to take them on a journey full of odd references — like half-mast McDonald’s flags, John Travolta’s bald head, Lucky Charms, and more — distorted electric guitar, and tasteful steel pedal flourishes.
At 5:30 p.m., with the sun just above the Beatbox stage, drummer Colin Miller launched into the alternating kick and snare drum beats for the intro to “Rudolph,” a single off of Manning Fireworks. Lenderman’s band cut into “The Wind,” which blew into the breezeless air as steel pedal player Trevor Nikrant’s playing came to the forefront. Nikrant perfectly harmonized with a simple but bold chord progression from Lenderman, fellow guitarist Jon Samuels, and bassist Landon George. “Rudolph waking up in the road / Dew dripping off his red nose / Blue and black tire track torn / Through a beautiful doe,” Lenderman sang. Though usually sounding like a groggy Neil Young, Lenderman oozed coolness, his nonchalant facial expressions shining from behind dark sunglasses. In what might have been a technical glitch, the screen behind the band remained blank, yet the dark, absent visual juxtaposed Lenderman’s all-black outfit to a tee.
The end of “Rudolph” transitioned into wailing and bleeding distortion from Lenderman’s guitar, eventually shifting to the next song from 2022’s Boat Songs, “Toontown.” The broodingly paced song featured messy, dissonant guitar chords that echoed like a Neil Young or Crazy Horse album. The screeching of the guitars continued into “SUV.” The song opened with a fast paced grunge sound from the messy, driving chords of the guitars. “I still have the key / To your boyfriend's S.U.V. / I could keep it by my bed / Like a picture of you and me,” Lenderman whinily screamed. Nikrant, also a multi-instrumentalist, beat on a tambourine. The song ended in instrumental chaos, leaving the crowd in hushed silence. The frontman then took the opportunity to introduce himself and the band to the pleased audience.
Later in the set, the band pulled out its only cover of the night, “Dancing in the Club,” by This Is Lorelei. The melancholic alt-country ballad displayed his respectably modest vocal range. “I lost your love today / In a lonely summer breeze / I was dreaming all my dreams / Yeah, I'm my own worst enemy,” Lenderman vented over his catchy but longing guitar.
The mood quickly changed with the upbeat start of “Wristwatch,” Lenderman’s most popular track. Fans pulled out their phones to record Lenderman singing about the “Himbo Dome,” a made-up term that’s become an inside joke within Lenderman’s community. The heavy, downbeat-driven intro gives way to a softer, muted sound for the choruses where Lenderman’s quotable lyrics readily come to the forefront. “So you say I've got a funny face / It makes me money / So you say I've wasted my life away,” Lenderman sang with a sincerity that makes you wonder what’s behind the facade. Lenderman moved toward the night’s softest crooner, “Manning Fireworks,” a dejected waltz centering around a conceited character who performatively reads the Bible and “hounds the girls in the circus.” George left the bass and picked up a fiddle, adding his own harmonious and dissonant flourishes. Near the end of the song he played a quick but feverish solo.
Harkening back to Lenderman’s early and more lo-fi material, the band played “I Ate Too Much At The Fair.” The atonal guitar clashes and unsteady rhythms descended into violent guitar fanning by Lenderman until the band limply came to a stop.
The much more mainstream “She’s Leaving You” followed, another fan favorite from Manning Fireworks. “It falls apart, we all got work to do / It gets dark, we all got work to do / She's leaving you,” Lenderman sang with mournful acceptance. The mid-paced, country-rock chord progression built to the powerful chorus, followed by dueling guitar solos from Samuels and Lenderman. The high, winding notes came to a satisfying stop and the band played one more chorus.
In a fitting closer to their set, Lenderman uttered the unforgettable line, “We saw John Daly sing ‘Knockin on Heaven’s Door,’” signaling the start of his romantic ballad, “Knockin.’” Like the original “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” the song seems to call for the raising of lighters and swaying of bodies as Lenderman lyrically longs over someone he loves. He displayed uncharacteristic intensity at the song’s climax, screaming “knock knock knockin’ on Heaven’s door tonight.” Lenderman’s solo and Nikrant’s steel pedal coalesced until the band struck the final chord. The still large crowd at the Beatbox stage screamed as Lenderman left the stage. Most started to mosey their way somewhere else, but all were left with a performance not easy to forget.