MJ Lenderman & The Wind at the Roundhouse

MJ Lenderman & The Wind (ft. Karly Hartzman)

Allegra Krieger

Roundhouse, 15 August 2025

You know when you have that transcendental moment at a gig, where you are so moved, thrilled and you just feel, there is nothing better than this: right here and now is where I'm supposed to be? It happened again for me tonight at the Roundhouse seeing MJ Lenderman. It's the reason why I haven't been this excited about an artist in a long time.

Of course I've been anticipating this show for a long time, well at least since I last saw Lenderman back in June, and probably turned up way too early to secure my place at the front but again I got to chat with some lovely fellow fans (I've dubbed us Lender-fans) before the show, which made the wait even more worthwhile. I also got a nice central spot, almost the same as the Kim Deal show, so I knew even though it was a far grander venue, it would still feel fairly intimate, so I was relieved. 

Previous times I've seen Lenderman it seemed like he had friends as opening acts (namely Hollow Hand and Trace Mountains) but tonight Allegra Krieger seemed more of an unknown quantity and until she came out and told us she was from New York, we were even debating over where she could be from. 

She certainly looked great, wearing a black mini dress, with wavy brown hair and wielding a Telecaster with her name painted on the front. She also was accompanied by not only a beardy trucker cap-wearing dude (very indie Americana look) but a harpist too, who she told us was actually from London. 

The music itself was atmospheric hazy folk music with droning guitar sounds and emotional soaring vocals. Sometimes she really reminded me of Phoebe Bridgers and later, her vocals got a bit more raspy and she reminded me of a young Kathleen Edwards. 

She seemed to be singing tales from her everyday life, one song in particular stood out, New Credit Card, No Confidant, about her love of spending money but the set was quite low-key and I'm not sure her self-reflective songs worked in grandness of the Roundhouse without drums to bring the sounds to the rafters (she played St. Pancras Old Church the night before which I'm sure would have been more fitting to her intimate sound) but she was definitely interesting and talented. I'm looking forward to checking out her recorded work to hear more. It was certainly a contrast to the rocking that came later.

When Lenderman and his superb band, The Wind, walked on stage they seemed suitably happy and excited: this is afterall their biggest show in London, at a legendary venue, and completely sold out. Going from playing the tiny Garage to selling out the Roundhouse in a matter of months is pretty impressive but then Lenderman did release one of the best albums (well, in my humble opinion the actual best one of all) last year, so it seems right that he's having his well-deserved moment right now.

It was nice to see Lenderman himself grinning as he strapped on his guitar and he was immediately way more talkative than when I last saw him at the Electric Ballroom, where he seemed a little more sullen, pouty (and cool of course) at the start, his hair now outgrowing that, at that time, recent haircut, back into a Dylan-esque halo of curls. I did think he looked even skinnier though, but that may well be due to being on the road for a year now (well, two years if you count the Rat Saw God tour with Wednesday) which certainly would take its toll, but he still seemed on great form despite this.

There was one big change with the band this time though: pedal steel player Xandy Chelmis is taking a well-earned break right now and I can't deny I did miss his distinctive sound and his fantastic stage presence but the band were still incredible even without him.

Beginning the show, as he often does, with the gentle Manning Fireworks, as if easing us in on the ride that he and The Wind are about to take us on, they then go full bounce with the plaintive but foot-tappingly good Dancing In The Club, their superb cover of the This Is Lorelei song (and I'm sorry, as good as This Is Lorelei is, it's easily superior to the original). 

Then they hit us with some favourites from the acclaimed Manning Fireworks, Joker Lips and Wristwatch, both of which were met with people in the audience joyfully singing all the words along with Lenderman. Isn't it crazy how in the space of less than a year, these songs already sound like classics? Wristwatch in particular sounds like it's been around forever and I will never tire of hearing it or seeing guitarist Jon Samuels jump around while adding his licks or hearing Lenderman singing about that infamous "houseboat at the Himbo Dome."

Then of course he completely socked it to us, with the pure punk energy of SUV, it was glorious to see Lenderman attacking his guitar and screaming about "catching up on my TV," leaving the whole crowd jumping before then delving into his back catalogue to give us the more melancholic Catholic Priest and then the funny and almost funky You Have Bought Yourself A Boat. 

It was also lovely and completely moving to hear TLC Cage Match again, which he missed last time he played London. I've always loved this song and I don't know, but it particularly packed a punch tonight, as he sang, with that slight break in his voice "all our heroes now are dead, cause all things go." It felt so heart-wrenching to me, as for the past couple of years I've been looking after an elderly neighbour who was like a grandmother to me, and after I locked up for her every night I would go for a long walk and listen to Boat Songs, and immerse myself in its playfulness, heartbreak and whimsy. She died a couple of weeks ago, and hearing this song tonight, really felt like the end of an era and so meaningful to me. All things go, indeed.

It was then that Lenderman told us that tonight was going to be a special one (which we knew anyway) and said they had a special guest who "just happened to be in town" and was an honorary member of the band: Karly Hartzman! 

I had suspected she would turn up because obviously I saw her solo Wednesday show at Rough Trade East on Monday where she was talking about things she might do in London in the upcoming week, including going to see Evan Dando's instore, so it was clear she was sticking around for something. So I assumed she would come out and sing a couple of songs with her Wednesday bandmate, but I didn't expect that not only would she remain on stage for most of the show singing back-up on all the tracks she sings on Lenderman's solo records, they would also surprise us with three tracks from the recently re-released Guttering EP, which has just come out for the first time on vinyl (and yes I did pre-order it!). Lenderman said it was the first time they had played these tracks with a band and, wow was it a treat to hear them. 

Hartzman came on with the biggest smile on her face, looking absolutely the coolest girl in the world wearing a floaty chiffon top and wide-leg denim shorts, her hair down tonight in waves (funnily enough she gave off Wednesday Addams vibes!). They began playing Big Money, Hartzman's voice soaring and Lenderman and Samuels blending beautifully on the grungy guitars, as Hartzman danced. It was amazing to hear this song go from the lovely lo-fi version on the record to the deep dirgey and loud band version. It came alive in a new way and I loved hearing Hartzman and Lenderman harmonising together. 

They then played My Voice Is A Little Horse, with Lenderman taking the lead on the heavy riff and more gorgeous vocals from Hartzman. It's amazing how these songs really took on a new life played with the band and I hope they will continue to play them in the future but if not, I feel so lucky to have seen them performed live.

The final song from the Guttering EP was their cover of the Greg Sage song, Sacrifice (For Love) and Lenderman told us how meaningful The Wipers have been to them. For this Hartzman took the microphone off the stand and moved around the stage dancing as she sang, while Lenderman gave us a truly Neil Young-esque guitar solo and, this one more than the previous two, had them harmonising through whole song. I just loved hearing their voices singing together, what an absolute joy it was!

After this Hartzman remained on stage as they got back to the Lenderman solo stuff. I did wonder if they might play a newer Wednesday track, particularly Phish Pepsi since it's been re-recorded for the new album Bleeds and is also on Guttering but alas it wasn't to be but I have absolutely no complaints. Hearing those Guttering songs live was a complete thrill.

Then we got Hartzman singing back-up on lots of Lenderman favourites like Rudolph, Toon Town, Rip Torn and the always glorious Crazy Horse-esque On My Knees. Bark At The Moon once again descended into its wall of feedback but this time it was a little more subdued and not as long as previous times I've seen them, instead it rather nicely morphed into I Ate Too Much At The Fair.  

Somewhere during these songs someone came on stage to whisper to bassist Landon George that there was a broken cable (I'm pretty sure that's what happened but it was confusing) and seemingly to buy time, there was a slap-off between George and drummer Colin Miller, during which Miller slapped George hard enough to make him lose his balance and was declared the winner. (They hugged after, so obviously no hard feelings!)

The show ended with the gentle You Don't Know The Shape I'm In (the crowd once again singing along) and of course, the song we were all waiting for (since Karly was there and sings that distinctive lead-out at the end, as well as adding so much to the fantastic chorus), She's Leaving You.

Before they played it people were shouting out requests and Lenderman told the crowd to be quiet, and instead close our eyes and just think of the song we wanted him to play while mentally sending the request to his mind, pointing his fingers toward his temples. He laughed and said he was joking but all the while I was thinking "She's Leaving You! She's Leaving You!" so perhaps it really did work! Hearing She's Leaving You, particularly live, never fails to bring me joy and I was jumping by the end of it because it sounded so good and full of energy and emotion. It was so beautiful too to hear Karly hauntingly sing the lines at the end, it really couldn't have been more perfect.

But that wasn't it, there was more! Returning for the encore, George once again got the crowd riled up by getting us all to cheer and told a rambling story about his grandmother (Mimi I think?) telling him to never forget he was a George and from English royalty. And because of that England had a special place in his heart because we are all so weird and cool (we certainly are!). 

The rest of the band returned and they launched into their superb cover of Neil Young's Lotta Love, which of course I heard them play last year at The Garage, but it was amazing to hear it again, particularly as they remind me so much of Crazy Horse, you know that energy, rawness and unpredictably that Young always brings to every performance: it's there in The Wind too. It's high praise for me to compare anyone to Neil, as I love him so, so you know Lenderman really is next level for me at least.

I was hoping they might play You Are Every Girl To Me, as they had at the Electric Ballroom, but it wasn't to be. I absolutely love the way Tastes Just Like It Costs follows that track on the album Boat Songs and on the live album too, they just flow together so well and I hope one day to hear those two tracks live this way. Instead we got what is probably a much better crowd-pleaser, Knockin, and there's no doubt it sounded as anthemic as ever and went down a storm with the audience. 

Finally, and thrillingly, we got the song that often ends their shows, the glorious Tastes Just Like It Costs, perhaps my favourite ever MJ Lenderman song. It was as cool, raw and edgy as ever, as the band really let loose, Lenderman snarling the lyrics with the band seemingly having a ball. But even more amusingly, Jon Samuels decided to push down Lenderman's microphone really low, just as he was singing the refrain "Oooh sugar, tastes just like it costs" meaning that he had to bend and contort his body in all manner of weird ways in order to continue to sing into the mike and still play guitar. It was hugely entertaining to watch and just added to the fun (Samuels looked like he was enjoying it too!). 

It was a fantastic way to end the show. There's no doubt that Lenderman is an incredible singer/songwriter and bandleader but he's also an absolutely top-notch guitarist: it's why he's such an integral part of the Wednesday sound and helped make the last Waxahatchee album so special. It's always amazing to watch him play guitar (it's interesting too that he seems to be playing his beloved Fender Jazzmaster much less these days - although it did make an appearance on the Guttering songs - and has fully embraced a Les Paul instead) and his playing feels so full of ease and so natural to him. I don't think he gets enough credit for it, especially as his playing is so distinctive and so easily identifiable as him.

And then of course his band, The Wind, are always on fire and add so much to every show. Guitarist extraordinaire Jon Samuels (who is also in the excellent band Friendship) is so much fun to watch as he throws himself around, his long hair flying and sometimes acting the joker, while Landon George is so full of energy in his funky Hawaiian shirt and embodies the spirit of every song (he's also a mean fiddle player, which never hurts). Then there's the cool and steady Ethan Baechtold on the keyboards, adding all the flourishes and filling in on bass when George is playing his fiddle and finally, the often smiling Colin Miller, providing such a solid backbone to it all. 

The chemistry between them is undeniable and is always a beautiful thing to witness. Add the always wonderful Hartzman to the mix tonight and you have a completely unforgettable show. 

The band could have easily come back for another encore, there was such good feeling in the venue, but maybe due to the curfew they left us wanting more yet completely satisfied. I was floating at the end, it was so good and lived up to all my expectations. 

The only sadness is that I have no more MJ Lenderman shows to look forward to! Since I first saw him live at Rough Trade East a year ago, I've always had another show in the bag to keep me going: firstly seeing him with Wednesday for the first time, then I had the Garage shows a couple of months later, the Electric Ballroom the following year and now the final bow of the Roundhouse. I do have a ticket to see Wednesday early next year but, as expected, while he's still recording with the band, he is no longer touring with them, so I will definitely miss his presence and his playing at that show. But that's partly why seeing him sing with Hartzman again at this show was just so special and felt so meaningful. I'm so glad I got to experience it and hopefully he will be back before long. I will definitely be there when he does return that's for sure!