Welcome, all, to the first edition of “Moose on the Loose!,” a brand new concert review and recap series exclusive to U92 the Moose. In this series, we’ll be delving into the world of shows in and around Morgantown that our staff attends, from local acts in basement shows to big-time bands up in neighboring areas like Wheeling and Pittsburgh.
Our first entry to this series is the ever-wonderful MJ Lenderman and The Wind, the alt-country act from Asheville, NC playing live from Thunderbird Music Hall in Pittsburgh, PA on the night of October 29th. When Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks Tour was announced in July, it might have been the fastest purchase I have ever made. Not only was this my first opportunity to see him live since becoming a fan, but it was also Lenderman’s first show in Pittsburgh. That’s a recipe for a damn good time, and a damn good time it was.
Thunderbird might be one of the most unique venues I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. Built on Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of the ‘Burgh, the building is quite deceptive at first glance. There’s a small bar right as you enter, as well as a tiny area known as the “Front Porch Stage” dedicated to open mics in the corner. But tucked away next to the restrooms is a box office window, and a door leading to a stairwell and elevator to the main concert area. Upon entering, I was blown away by the amount of space for a 380-cap venue. The main entryway leads you to the lower balcony, with access to the upper balcony by going upstairs, and the general standing room downstairs. On this lower floor, there’s enough room for a bar, a sound booth, and a walk-up pizza window that I painfully regret not ordering from while there.
The show officially began a hair past 8 o’clock, when the openers Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band entered the stage to thunderous applause from eager fans awaiting. Playing songs from their debut album “Dancing on the Edge,” they were fantastic for me as a first-time listener. From the jump, the energy was there in an infectious way: Davis was wiggling about while singing their tracks as if Elvis was the lead singer for Silver Jews. The group’s witty lyrics and fun transitions between lighter tracks “Bluebirds in a Fight” to heavier tracks like “Learn 2 Re-Luv” and “Free From the Guillotine” kept the crowd on our toes in a fantastic warmup for the following act. I also have to give a huge shout-out to the band’s keyboard player, who was in a full suit in contrast to the others in band and basketball tees and was headbanging so hard it hurt just to watch. If you’re reading this, just know you rock.
After about an hour’s worth of tracks, Lenderman and company took the stage to a roar from the folks eager to hear them begin. Along with him, typical members of The Wind joined: Jon Samuel on lead guitar, Colin Miller on drums, fellow Wednesday band member Xandy Chelmis on the pedal steel and fiddle, Trevor Nikrant on keys and shakers, and Landon George on bass. With no introduction and no fanfare other than a simple “What’s up Pittsburgh,” the band immediately jumped into “Wristwatch,” the last of the singles before Manning Fireworks’ release and arguably its most popular track, being played on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon at the end of September. The fellas certainly wanted to come out swinging, because immediately after, they marched on into “Joker Lips” to keep the vibes riding high.
One of the big pieces I picked up from this show is that sequencing an engaging setlist involves a lot of whiplash. Normally, you’d think that jumping from a fast-paced, high-energy, slacker rock track like those first two onto the album’s title track would be a bit disrupting. If anything, it actually made the show more entertaining, being kept on the edge of our seats. Lenderman’s engaging banter between songs (saying it’s the wrong holiday but he had a Christmas song for us, then immediately playing “Rudolph” got a few laughs from the audience, and dedicating “Catholic Priest” to all the Duquesne University students at the show) had everyone incredibly locked in. So locked in, in fact, that there was a solid handful of times it was easier for me to hear the crowd singing back to the band louder than the band themselves, which is an all-time favorite hair-raiser of mine at shows. The only songs that didn’t see this happen were “Basketball #2,” an incredibly deep cut from Lenderman’s 2019 single Lucky that he played because “it fits with the upcoming holidays,” and his newly released song “Pianos.”
Before beginning “Pianos,” Lenderman took a moment to address the crowd. As some may know, MJ Lenderman is from Asheville, North Carolina, one of the worst-affected areas from Hurricane Helene that came through in late September. He, along with over one hundred other artists, came together to make a compilation record titled Cardinals at the Window, with all sales benefitting relief organizations assisting in the recovery efforts in western North Carolina, with this track being one of almost 140. If you would like to learn more about the album and how to help Helene victims, you can read more info about the album here.
To me, seeing the differences between live tracks and studio sessions is one of my favorite experiences in a concert. This show was certainly no different, absolutely littered with changes that had me itching to find the next one like I was easter egg hunting. Rather than the typical line of “Vegas is beautiful at night / And it’s not about the money / You just like the lights” in “She’s Leaving You,” Lenderman surprised us with “Draft King degenerates / Empty buckets of ice.” Additionally, the band changed around the ten-minute track “Bark at the Moon” to not only include the members of Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band who rejoined them on stage for the ambient drone that closes that track, but also led it directly into “Ghost of Your Guitar Solo” and the drone noise that begins that song. From there, the band let the drums transition between GoYGS to “You Don’t Know The Shape I’m In,” one of our personal favorites at the Moose. Finally, they closed it with the emotional, gutting track “Knockin’,” with Lenderman’s vocals sticking out on this one specifically as a musician who primarily works best with his words and not how he sings them.
After “Knockin’” concluded and the band left the stage, the energy from the crowd was palpable. I turned around from my spot to see a single person leaving, and I felt terrible for them especially, because no more than 10 seconds after did MJ and company return to the stage and immediately began into “Tastes Just Like It Costs,” another high energy banger that kept the vibe rolling from the faux outro. With a killer guitar solo in the middle from Lenderman, he turned to address the crowd, thanked us for being great tonight, and spoke on how this next track is one they’ve been playing a lot on tour since it’s wrapping up around Halloween. As soon as the word “Halloween” left his mouth, the openers rejoined the band on stage, fully dressed in masks and Halloween costumes and additional mics to assist in an absolutely killer cover of “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon. Ryan Davis actually took a significant lead on the song, which helped it tremendously with his zany moves and high energy that matched the rest of the band’s. With some lyric changes to fit Pittsburgh lore (“Russell Wilson drinking IC Light with the Queen at Gooski’s” was an incredible shout), the bands closed out the night with one of the most memorable performances I can recall.
MJ Lenderman and the Wind are taking a break until November 11th with their tour before going overseas for a European leg, but they’ll be back stateside on December 20th at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. Although almost every date is sold out, if there is a date near you that has yet to be, I’d highly, highly, highly recommend you attend and witness greatness while you have the chance.