It feels like the promo campaign for Manning Fireworks never really ended, but the album dropped in the summer of 2024, which means we may be due for a new MJ Lenderman LP this year. Further supporting evidence for this theory: Lenderman debuted two new songs in concert Wednesday night.
The Drive-By Truckers are hosting their annual HeAthens Homecoming festival this week at the 40 Watt in Athens, GA. Each of the four nights features a special guest, starting with noted DBT disciple Jake Lenderman. He wasn't backed by his usual live band, the Wind. Instead, it was a power trio with Snocaps pal Brad Cook on bass and Colin Croom from Twin Peaks on drums. According to setlist.fm, they played two new Lenderman songs, which I believe are these two:
The 11-song set started with covers of Vic Chesnutt's "Gravity Of The Situation," Neil Young's "Separate Ways," and Warren Zevon's "Hasten Down The Wind." Later on, they did Pink Floyd's eternal "Wish You Were Here." In the middle of the show, Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood popped onstage to run through his solo track "Uncle Disney" and the DBT song "Bob."
Here are Hood's appearances:
And here are the Zevon and Floyd covers:
In other Lenderman news, he is this week's guest on The Adam Friedland Show. During his appearance, Lenderman insisted Cameron Winter is "like two feet taller than me" despite Friedland's claims that the two indie rock breakout stars are only about an inch apart. Speaking of Lenderman's body, he shared a story about a freaky fan who attended three shows in a row and kept yelling at his to take his shoes off onstage.
Friedland also suggested Lenderman, like Bob Dylan, will have a motorcycle phase, a Christian phase, and a reggae phase, and perhaps a "Heil Hitler" phase like Kanye. Probably not, but he did make beats for his middle school basketball coach, Coach Scott, aka Rollin' Green. He also discussed his experience as a Catholic altar boy and why he chose to release music as MJ instead of Jake.
The appearance began with another Zevon cover, "The French Inhaler." You can check out the full episode below.
A second Lenderman performance for Friedland will be released Friday.
