On May 11th, 2025 we saw MJ Lenderman & The Wind live in Detroit at the Masonic Cathedral Theatre. The band was joined by This Is Lorelei, a project fronted by the prolific songwriter Nate Amos. When it comes to indie rock in 2025, it’s hard not to mention these two artists—MJ Lenderman and This Is Lorelei—both of whom released their most widely acclaimed works in the latter half of 2024: Manning Fireworks and Box for Buddy, Box for Star, respectively.
This Is Lorelei took the stage to an eager crowd, playing songs from the aforementioned album. Depending on the song, frontman Nate Amos would switch between playing guitar and holding onto the mic stand. The band’s music also joyfully switched between genres without feeling trapped under any label.
Before starting his set, Jake Lenderman wished the crowd a “happy Mother’s Day.” Befitting the cathedral setting, the band opened with the song “Catholic Priest” from Ghost of Your Guitar Solo. With the same ironic wit that became more well-known on Manning Fireworks, Lenderman followed the first song up with 2023’s hilariously tragic “Rudolph,” which even includes a callback to their set opener.
A memorable moment was when Jake confided in the crowd that he was feeling distracted because he needed to use the bathroom. He introduced the band to the “Turkey Brothers,” fronted by the band’s Landon George on fiddle and vocals. The rest of the band played a fiddle-heavy tune and got equal parts laughs and cheers until he returned from the bathroom.
Around an hour into the set, the band played “You Don’t Know the Shape I’m In,” officially rounding out the entire Manning Fireworks album being performed that night. After a few more beloved older tracks, the band launched into their set closer with the barn-burning “Knockin.”
The band returned to the stage for an encore consisting of two different covers. The first track was a cover of Patterson Hood’s “Uncle Disney.” The band took the song by the Drive-By Truckers co-founder and made it their own. Following up that incredible cover, Jake welcomed Nate Amos back to the stage to cover This Is Lorelei’s “Dancing in the Club.”
Upcoming tour dates for MJ Lenderman & The Wind can be found here.
