MJ Lenderman brought his alt-country melancholia to the Sydney Opera House on March 26.
To cap it off though, he delivered an encore that hit like a warm gut punch — a stripped-back cover of Neil Young’s ‘Lotta Love’.
The North Carolina singer-songwriter, backed by his band The Wind, played a career-spanning set inside the iconic Concert Hall. Drawing heavily from his 2024 record Manning Fireworks, Lenderman’s mix of slacker rock, country grit and emotional chaos hit a nerve. But it was the encore that sealed the night.
Returning to the stage after a raucous main set, Lenderman launched into Young’s 1978 classic with minimal fuss. No big intro, no explanation just a reverent, ragged take on a song that fits snugly into his own orbit. “I’d like to dedicate this song to just love in general” Lenderman said before launching into the track.
The cover was faithful without being overly polished, carried by a worn-in vocal delivery and just enough space to breathe.
Given the frequent comparisons between Lenderman and Neil Young both write with one foot in heartbreak and the other in distortion — the choice made sense. But in the setting of the Opera House, under soft lights and hushed crowd, it landed differently.
Lenderman’s performance in Sydney was one stop on a solid run of Australian shows, including sets at the Meadow Festival in Bambra, Northcote Theatre in Melbourne, and tonight Brisbane’s Princess Theatre. Each gig has doubled down on what fans already know: the guy is the real deal live.
Though the Sydney show felt like a particular high point. There’s something so surreal about watching scrappy American indie rock rattle around the walls of Australia’s most pristine venue. But it worked. The looseness, the feedback, the slow-burn storytelling. It all translated.
Closing with ‘Lotta Love’ didn’t just nod to an influence. It framed the night with a sense of musical lineage — one where alt-country still makes room for raw sentiment without losing its edge.
And if there’s anything Lenderman excels at, it’s making space for both.
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