Most of Lenderman’s band and their families are based in Western North Carolina, where devastation due to the natural disaster is mounting
MJ Lenderman has announced that the first three dates of his Manning Fireworks tour will be postponed. His tour will now kick off in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Oct. 6.
“Due to the ongoing natural disaster and humanitarian crisis in Western North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Helene, where most of MJ Lenderman’s band and their families are based, we have no choice but to postpone the first few dates of the upcoming Manning Fireworks tour,” Lenderman wrote on Instagram. The trek was set to begin with two shows in Atlanta this Thursday and Friday followed by a Saturday gig in Nashville. The singer-songwriter noted that he will share rescheduled dates for those cities soon.
Along with his message to fans, Lenderman also shared a number of mutual aid organizations to donate to as well as information on Marshall Mutual Aid Hub in Marshall, North Carolina, where locals can get food and supplies.
Hurricane Helene has become one of the worst storms in US history due to its widespread devastation across the south and rising death toll, which recently topped 130, though homeland security said there are as many as 600 people unaccounted for. Damage has spread from Florida’s Gulf Coast to the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and emergency services have been trying to reach more isolated areas in the region in spite of collapsed or flooded roads.
Lenderman’s hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, has been hit particularly hard by the storm. The death toll in the city had been reported to be at 40 on Monday. Buildings and homes have been severely damaged or completely annihilated by the storms, flooding and mudslides.
