On February 5th, 2025, North Carolinian indie folk singer MJ Lenderman and his band known as the Wind, played in Houston for a packed show at White Oak Music Hall’s downstairs stage. The show was accompanied by Wild Pink, an indie rock band from New York.
Starting off the night was Wild Pink. At 8 pm, the band took the stage in a calm, joyful manner. After setting up, the performance began with “Dulling the Horns,” “The Fences of Stonehenge” and “Cloud or Mountain.” Their sound was refreshing and hard-hitting as they warmed up the crowd for the night. The band gave an exciting performance that set the bar high, letting everyone know that the night was far from over.
Headlining for the night was MJ Lenderman. This singer/ songwriter constantly stands out for his indie tunes that have a certain twang to them. After the release of his most recent (and highly praised) album, Manning Fireworks, fans everywhere were eager for a tour date in their city. Lucky for Houston, we got a stop.
At 9:15 pm, Lenderman and his band walked on stage, while being greeted by an enthused crowd. As they adjusted themselves, everyone settled down, getting ready for the mind-blowing performance to come. The set kicked off with “Manning Fireworks,” which had to be promptly restarted because the cheering from the audience endearingly threw the singer off, “Joker Lips” and “Wristwatch.”
Lenderman’s discography is full of songs of different paces and styles, but the singer was sure to have each song seamlessly blend into the next. The catchy guitar riffs of “You Have Bought Yourself a Boat” lead perfectly into the drums of “Basketball #2.” The soft vocals from the singer’s rendition of “Dancing in the Club” smoothly transitioned into “On My Knees.” Unlike many other artists on tour, it seems that Lenderman has been switching up the setlist for each stop, allowing every city to get a unique experience.
Not only did the music flow together, but so did the lighting, which allowed the whole production to be something bigger. It felt like something bigger. Each song was accompanied by a soft set of spotlights, which slowly danced around the stage. As the lights swayed, so did the crowd. For an hour and a half everything and everyone in the venue were together as one.
The ears of Houston were truly blessed by the presence and the sound of MJ Lenderman & the Wind. After the show concluded, it wasn’t hard to hear praise for the singer coming from all around. MJ Lenderman is an artist not to be dismissed, and is worth every penny to see. Keep up with his upcoming shows here!
I am from Houston, Texas and currently attending the University of Houston as a marketing major! From attending concerts, playing guitar, and collecting vinyl, I love anything that has to do with music. Some of my favorite artists include The Strokes, Omar Apollo, and boygenius. Besides that, I really like shopping, watching Pitch Perfect, and discovering new places in Houston!
