02/04/2025

MJ Lenderman & The Wind – The Powerstation: April 1, 2025

April blows in with MJ Lenderman & The Wind at The Powerstation and that’s no foolin’.

Alright, enough with the puns, or whatever that was…but where else would you want to be on a Tuesday night in Auckland?

MJ Lenderman has, over the past year, and with the release of his new album, Manning Fireworks, become quite the critics’ darling and a fan favourite. Last February MJ, or Jake to his friends, played The Whammy Bar to little or no fanfare and now, here he is playing to a packed Powerstation.

And rightly so.

Preacher

First up, a NZ band called Preacher. I hadn’t heard of them, but a quick Google brings up a “metallic hardcore band from Hamilton formed in 2010” and “a newly-formed alt-rock trio whose debut single is called Day Dreamer”.

I’m opting for the latter, even though there are four musicians on stage.

Preacher

They make a good background buzz as the room fills up…as seems to be the case these days, the lighting is lacking, there is minimal engagement with the audience, but they sound alright. Nothing special…yet.

MJ Lenderman & The Wind

By the time MJ Lenderman & The Wind take the stage, the place is buzzing.

“Hey Auckland, what’s up?” queries Jake. Not waiting for an answer, they launch into a three-song onslaught that begins with the title track from Manning Fireworks and includes two more tracks from the album, On My Knees and Bark At The Moon, which morphs into a noisy cacophony that becomes a 15-minute version of Ghost Of Your Guitar Solo.

Crikey!

The band is at once tight and loose with me having flashbacks to Neil & The Horse playing Cortez The Killer. MJ fluffs the lyrics to Bark At The Moon, but stays the course.

“This is the last show of the tour” we are told, “this means a lot to us…April Fools!”

By Jake is genuine with his affection for the fans, for the tour and for the music.

For me, I was most impressed by the fact that, despite the 5-piece band behind him, I could easily make out most of Lenderman’s lyrics.

And he’s got some beauties…lines like “every day is a miracle, not to mention a threat”, every Catholic knows he could’ve been pope” and “I fucked up my guitar while I was fucking up my heart, while I was singing Steely Dan”.

Ok, the last one was a cover…by his friend Nate Amos (aka This Is Lorelei) but MJ’s version has just been released last week.

Fan faves such as Wristwatch, Joker Lips and Rip Torn have the audience’s full attention even has our hero is “passed out in his Lucky Charms”.

The Neil Young comparison is unavoidable as is Ryan Adams (pre-controversy) but MJ and The Wind definitely forge their own vibe with guitarist Jon Samuels serving as a potent foil for MJ’s own guitar stylings.

The rest of the band is, Xandy Chelmis (pedal steel/violin), Colin Miller (drums), Ethan Baechtold (keys) and bass player Landon George, who is also the band’s tour vlogger and encore encourager.

“Auckland!!!!”, George screamed after set closer Knockin’, “what the fuck is up?”

He tells us, “the encore is like playing peek-a-boo with adults”.

But they just want to play more music…which they do. To the delight of the full house, still ready to rock.

The night ends with a sludgy Tastes Just Like It Costs…what a killer, what a killer.

No foolin’.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Chris Warne:

MJ Lenderman & The Wind: