The fresh prince of rock ‘n’ roll was taking in a sold-out room at the Independent on Tuesday night when a grin seemed to grow beneath his helmet of shaggy hair. “It’s good to be back,” MJ Lenderman quipped to the crowd. 

It was a timely joke, as the North Carolina-based singer-guitarist sold out the San Francisco venue the night before. According to posts on social media, band members spent the time between shows at Lands End, where they peered over the edge of the earth with audible awe for the ocean. They also visited TaishoSF for karaoke, where Lenderman performed an Eminem/Slim Shady cover with a vigor and swagger that contrasted his statuesque stage presence. 

Alongside his band called the Wind, Lenderman is touring behind “Manning Fireworks,” his fourth LP that he released last year on a small label to huge acclaim. The record was a certifiable album of the year, topping numerous end-of-year-lists across the media spectrum (including my own) and shining a spotlight on a front man who appears to prefer the shadows. With slightly bent knees like a basketball player at the free throw line and a light slouch over his guitar and microphone, Lenderman performed with a stoic resignation atypical for a rising rock star.

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Although he wore a T-shirt featuring Ron Artest’s infamous “Malice at the Palace” NBA brawl, Lenderman’s show was absolved of distracting theatrics. Instead, he gripped the audience with clever lyrics that tend to trigger chuckles, while his razor-sharp band played with passion, as if this night in San Francisco was their last waltz.

He may have released his first album in 2019, but MJ Lenderman’s success is a fortunate byproduct of the........

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