Photos by Dylan Simmons
It seems that on the internet, the classic riff from American Football’s “Never Meant” is inescapable. But to alternative rock fans, the riff alone is the anthem for the midwest emo subgenre. In case you’re unfamiliar with their emo impact, American Football is a four-piece rock group that formed in Urbana, Illinois in 1997. In the gritty whirlwind of the emerging post-hardcore scene at the time, alongside acts like Sunny Day Real Estate, Unwound, and Fugazi, American Football was a more sullen and melodic outlier. Their unique sound for the time then turned them into the midwest emo pioneers they are hailed as today. After performing their iconic first self-titled album in full at El Rey Theatre last year, American Football returned to Los Angeles at the Wiltern to tour their new album, American Football (LP4).
Knowing their musical prominence, I was enthusiastic to see American Football perform, which also happened to be my first time at the Wiltern as well. At any concert, you’ll typically see the same type of fans or characteristics of people in the crowd based on which artist is playing that night. But at this show, I was surprised to see the diversity in passersby. Within the past few years, American Football has resurged among Gen Z fans in both musical admiration and “memeability.” American Football’s timeless 1999 self-titled album has left a lasting impression on multiple generations of fans, as seen especially at this particular show. Teens, young adults, and long-time fans reliving their alt rock adolescence all came together on this Saturday night to bask in the entrancing sounds of American Football’s discography.
As the house lights dimmed, the crowd erupted in excitement. The stage began to glow a blue light while an ominous bass echoed through the venue. The band then opened the show with a new track, “Man Overboard.” Continuing through the entire set, the backdrop of their performance was illuminated with different videos and animations to accompany each song while the members of the band played in (mostly) complete darkness. I felt that this visual choice enhanced the experience of listening to their music in a live setting, heightened by the band’s choices of instrumental effects and venue acoustics giving them a shoegazey live sound. Throughout the show, a small handful of female vocalists joined the stage to provide scenic backing vocals to different songs. To my surprise, one of these included rising shoegaze artist Wisp during “Wake Her Up” — further highlighting American Football’s ability to adapt to a new generation of fans and musicians.
Then came time for the first song off of their first self-titled album. Frontman Mike Kinsella uttered, “We’re gonna play some old songs now, this is from about… 200 B.C.” As the first notes of “Honestly?” echoed through the audience, excited cheers from the crowd — especially the twenty-something white guys behind me passionately belting every word — momentarily overpowered the music. As someone who has gone to more concerts than I can count, there have only been a handful of times we’re I’ve truly been in awe of a live performance. But this rendition of “Honestly?” immediately became a new addition to the list. The background screen began with beads of water dripping off a window, then turning into a cloudy night sky illuminated by flashes of lightning. Towards the instrumental breakdown at the end of the song, the lightning grew stronger, and the stage lights began to strobe — matching the pace of the bolts. The combination of the visuals with reverbed guitars and echoing drums was an unforgettable moment from the show, and a concert memory I’ll forever cherish.
The songs that followed were “Stay Home” and “The One with the Wurlitzer.” The background screen faded into a daytime scene of the House from American Football’s first album cover, an immediately recognizable icon of the alt rock scene due to its frequent resurfacing in internet references. The house then was shadowed by a night sky, accompanied by drummer Steve Lamos under a spotlight during his trumpet solo in “The One with the Wurlitzer.” After a brief pause as the songs concluded, the long anticipated beginning riff of “Never Meant” turned the Wiltern into a stadium of midwest emo fanatics. Along with Kinsella, the audience gleefully sang, Let’s just forget everything said / And everything we did / Best friends and better halves.
As a casual listener of American Football before, I’ve since been turned into an avid fan after being present for this performance. As more younger fans begin to discover the dreamlike instrumentation of the band, I can’t wait to see how American Football’s music is received by generations to come.
Check out American Football’s new record here!
