MJ Lenderman Premieres Unreleased Tracks at Good Moon Festival in Durham

MJ Lenderman returned to the stage Saturday night for his first full concert in five months, headlining a free show at the Good Moon Festival in Durham, North Carolina. The event, curated by Sylvan Esso’s Psychic Hotline, was relocated indoors to Bay 7 due to inclement weather.

Lenderman’s last major run saw him touring with Waxahatchee through May, before he stepped away from Zach Bryan’s stadium tour for a hiatus. He surfaced briefly in July for a popup show alongside Wednesday bandmate Karly Hartzman and frequent collaborator Brad Cook.

For his festival set, Lenderman debuted six unreleased songs, several of which had been road-tested during the Waxahatchee tour. He opened the performance with a cover of Vic Chesnutt’s “Gravity of the Situation.” Among the new material, tracks tentatively titled “Apples” and “LLT” appeared to be receiving their live premieres.

Rather than his usual backing band, the Wind, Lenderman was supported by a lineup of past collaborators: Tanner York, Brad Cook, and Colin Croom, the latter of whom also performed on the Waxahatchee trek.

A notable moment arrived at the show’s conclusion when Lenderman handed his primary instrument—a heavily taped 2008 Fender Jazzmaster—to an audience member. However, according to a commenter on Stereogum’s Instagram, the guitar was retrieved by a member of Lenderman’s team as the recipient was exiting the venue.

Footage from the performance is available below.

Source link