Jan 3

Jan 3 MJ Lenderman & The Wind at The Orange Peel

“Welcome to the longest night of the year!”

Thus spoke Xandy Chelmis, pedal steel player for MJ Lenderman & The Wind, near the start of Night One of the still-somewhat-Asheviille-based band’s two-night home stand at The Orange Peel.

The friendly greeting informed attendees that it was indeed Dec. 20, aka the winter solstice, yet the phrase carried additional meanings that gradually revealed themselves as the evening unfolded.

Rescheduled in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene from its original Nov. 1 date — due to the uncertainty of whether indoor Asheville venues would have running water by then — the homecoming show reminded concertgoers early and often of the mind-boggling past few months that have felt more like years.

Simply being back in the downtown music hall after all that this region has endured was a type of victory, yet celebrating that resilience with the epitome of Local Boy Does Good also hammered home the role Lenderman and his bandmates have played in boosting morale during these trying times.

Released less than a month before the storm hit, Manning Fireworks was the album many people turned to (once power and internet were restored) for comfort, motivation, escape, and whatever else they sought while coming to terms with the wide-reaching consequences of a (hopefully) once-in-a-generation natural disaster. Hell, some folks probably used generator juice to fire up their turntables and spin it on vinyl that Lenderman autographed at his Harvest Records release party mere weeks prior.

Meanwhile, the band resumed its tour, spreading the gospel of houseboats parked at the Himbo Dome (“Wristwatch”) and Pixar icon Lightning McQueen’s secret drunken antics (“Rudolph”) to Europe and the U.K., while also popping up in Drive-By Truckers’ encores at the Peel in early November.

Following a burst of glowing reviews coinciding with Manning Fireworks’ release, Lenderman’s album began appearing on an increasing number of Best Of 2024 lists as the year wound down, jockeying for position with the likes of Charli XCX and Beyoncé. And in the interim, as WNC struggled in new, frightening ways and every day felt like a never-ending battle, seeing one of our own succeed on an inter/national level (while raising awareness from the mic about our struggles) provided a vicarious win of the highest order.

Assembling on the longest night of the longest year in arguably each Dec. 20 attendee’s lifetime, this union of artists and fans carried a special kind of significance that oscillated back and forth between stage and floor. And for a good hour, Lenderman & The Wind struck a charming balance of honoring the community's tribulations — inserting a “Fuck you, Helene” following the hurricane line in “You Have Bought Yourself a Boat,” and performing “Pianos“ from the flood relief benefit album Cardinals in the Window were especially nice touches — and soothing the wounds with damn good music from Boat Songs and Manning Fireworks (including Chelmis beautifully subbing for Wednesday frontwoman Karly Hartzman on the “She’s Leaving You” outro vocals).

But right when they’d transformed us to proverbial putty in the palm of their hands, the magic evaporated during the interminable instrumental jam/psych stretch of Manning Fireworks outlier/closer “Bark at the Moon” that gave new meaning to “longest night of the year.” Yes, Lenderman clearly has a range of inspirations and it’s good to see him follow his interests, but this largely aimless noodling proved isolating even to someone familiar with the studio version. No such mood-killing occurred during the group’s Hopscotch Music Festival block, but as with Wednesday’s 2023 live show (which significantly improved in 2024), there's a sense that MJ Lenderman & The Wind has some fine-tuning to do for headlining sets.

(According to multiple trustworthy sources, “Bark at the Moon” was reportedly less snoozy the following evening, which also included the upgrades of Hartzman and covers of Smog’s “37 Push Ups” and John Prine’s “Christmas in Jail,” but no inclusion of Night One’s enchanting two closing selections.)

That self-indulgence behind them, the band quickly got back to business, finished the set much the way they started, then saved their best for the encore, which bassist Landon George introduced with a raucous, infectious yell on the mic of “Asheville!!!”

Proving that talent runs in the family, Lenderman’s uncle Tony contributed impressive solo guitar on “TV Dinners,” after which the most life-giving interpretation of Chelmis’ quote (repeated late in the set to maximum whoops and claps) played out in the form of Counting Crows’ “A Long December.” Included in Lenderman & The Wind’s recent BBC session, the cover provided a sonic balm for a battered and bruised community, resulting in one of the sweetest singalongs in recent memory.

But then it was time to rock with Boat Songs standout (and still Lenderman’s greatest hit) “Tastes Just Like it Costs.” From the ripping guitar solos and thundering, repeated chorus to Chelmis getting downright primal on tambourine, the true finale was a sight to behold and the most cathartic moment of the night (if not the year).

“Best song ever,” a 20something man shouted while high-fiving a similarly-aged dude on their way out of the Peel. In the moment, that statement was tough to argue.

(Photos by Jonny Leather)