MJ Lenderman Was Effortlessly Cool in His Sold-Out Return to Fort Worth

MJ Lenderman and the Wind brought their free-flowing alt-country rock and roll to a packed house at the Fort Worth venue, Tannahill’s Tavern, Saturday, Sept. 6.

Following an exceptional set from Canadian Indie Rock band, Nap Eyes, Lenderman shuffled onto the stage with his musical counterparts, the Wind.

The last time MJ Lenderman graced a Dallas-Fort Worth stage was just earlier this year for the second annual Jambaloo, DFW’s free music week, in which Lenderman headlined and played to an at-capacity crowd at Tulips. Conducted by a lottery-based system, concert-goers were lucky to secure a spot to watch the show from the then-packed venue. Months later, DFW’s enthusiasm for the North Carolina native’s guitar music has not at all waned. Tickets were easily sold out for the Texas-sized, 1,000 capacity venue of Tannahill’s, a space which is double the size of where Lenderman played just shy of seven months ago.

“Sorry for last time,” was the reserved Lenderman’s running bit of the show, jokingly apologizing as if Saturday's show was a chance to make up for his first time in Fort Worth. “Just kidding,” he followed up. “It was beautiful and cool.” There was nothing to apologize for, obviously, as a sold-out show was an indication enough that fans were simply even more obsessed with him.

Lenderman’s music has been referred to as “dude-rock,” but looking around at the crowd that had gathered, that identifier couldn’t be less true. Though Lenderman’s music frequently touches on the woeful imagery of men in the throes of their own loneliness, the uncomfortable rawness and comedic mirror he holds up to it, truly transcends the gender binary as well as the age demographic.

When it was time for the show to begin, Lenderman and the band shuffled onto a hazy stage, his and the features of the band melting into the atmosphere. He donned a t-shirt and jeans, looking much like the members of the crowd clad in workwear and patchwork tattoos themselves. A projection of art done in the style of the album cover, Manning Fireworks, was splayed out behind the band members. The tones of the band members in the low light against the painterly strokes of the projection turned the stage into a work of art.
Lenderman’s setlist was packed with all the good stuff that Lenderheads were craving: discography-expansive hits, covers and deep cuts galore. “Rudolph” was the front-running song that brought the patiently waiting fans to their feet. Boots and basketball shoes were scooting to the comical song about “Rudolph” being the victim of a hit-and-run by Lightning McQueen. Then came “Toontown,” a much more solemn, shoegazy soundscape that almost seemed to freeze time in the Fort Worth venue.
“Are you guys okay?” he asked several times between songs, seemingly checking the pulse of the crowd splayed out before him. Lenderman, in his quiet demeanor, seemed to pour his energy into the music and let it flow freely between his bandmates and throughout the room.

When he speaks, it seems to be with honesty and genuine concern. Midway into the set, the band covered “Dancing in the Club,” which perked up the ears of indie rock fans who are familiar with the song by This Is Lorelei, a friend and collaborator of Lenderman. The line “I lost your love today / in a lonely summer breeze“ seemed to only magnetize the lovers in the crowd together, despite the theme of waning love being present.

Couples in the crowd held each other closer, and a couple on the balcony even took the song as a cue to slow dance together.

Songs like “On My Knees,” “Wristwatch” and “She’s Leaving You” had the crowd belting their hearts out. “Wristwatch,” especially, commanded the attention of the whole room. The pedal steel interplaying with the country-rock guitar arrangements was just as transfixing live as it was in the studio version.

The night wrapped up with the ambient but slicing “Ghost of Your Guitar Solo” and “Knockin,’” a song that feels like the perfect blend of MJ’s rock and country-gaze. His vocals in this song were powerful and fused with emotion, bringing to the stage a different Lenderman that was not present at the start of the show. During the last two songs, he seemed to be pulled to-and-fro by an invisible force, letting the guitar control where his feet would land next. It was a spectacle to see, like the artistic force inside had finally broken free for a final moment of catharsis.

The Neil Young-inspired 26-year-old wears a heart of gold that is clear to see amongst the beautifully coordinated mess of cheeky quips, hard-hitting declarations of despair and the occasional sports and cartoon references scattered about. It’s Lenderman looking effortlessly cool onstage that draws you in to take a drink of this concoction, and the sobering bitterness and familiar taste that keep fans coming back to see him again and again.

See more photos from Saturday's show: