Gig: American Football @ SWX, Bristol
Photography by Ross Peacey
American Football by Ross Peacey
As I make that familiar walk from Bristol Temple Meads to the centre of Bristol, nostalgia fills me for the years gone by. American Football are an important band for me as well as many others in the scene. They spearheaded the Midwest emo movement despite their short initial stint. Their first album (Referred to as LP1) was written, recorded, and released in only nine days. Soon after, the band would part ways. But the album would go on to be one of the most acclaimed records of its time.
I expected the crowd to be mostly the same as myself; a sea of vans wearing 30-something-year-old men, but to my surprise my fellow Midwest emo enjoyers came in many shapes, sizes, and age ranges. This niche sub-genre is no longer for strange men who sit in their rooms, counting time signatures and working out their favourite math-rock bands' open tunings. It sells out a 20-date tour. It brings people from all walks of life. They seek a bittersweet feeling found only in a room of like-minded music fans.
Hello Mary
Opening the night are Hello Mary. A band I was not familiar with until this event. I had a listen to one or two songs on the journey over, and I could hear strong influences of Midwest Emo and the shoegaze sound akin to My Bloody Valentine.
The trio opened and set the tone with a moody atmosphere, which would continue throughout the set. The harmonies between the musicians were excellent and added to those ethereal sections. It's tough to pin down where Hello Mary sits genre-wise, but I think that's part of their strength. They have a sort of ghostly energy on stage which is encapsulating. Frequent stop/start and stabby sections keep you on your toes as you wonder what's coming next.
As the crowd aggressively bobs their heads during the busy parts, you never know if the band are going to slide into a post-rock style section akin to Mogwai, a shouty punk section or a beautiful and guitar-driven melody more akin to the headliners of the show. To my surprise, I found myself being engrossed in the more ambient but harsh industrial-style sections. An overall delightful and interesting start to the night and one to catch live as the music translates much better as a live experience than the recorded work.
American Football
The main event consisted of the members teasing the audience with a short ambient musical introduction, complemented by a wash of orange lights. It was most likely a reference to the orange glow of the window seen on the art of the album they were about to treat us to. As the members walked onto the stage and plugged in, the audience exploded into cheers. I even heard a few shushes as they began their journey through the self-titled album.
I initially thought they would play the album in reverse order to leave “Never Mean” to last but as they began playing “The Summer Ends” it was clear they would play a mixture. Members facing each other, locked in with full focus. Halfway through the song, that familiar house slowly appeared on a projection behind, and I couldn’t help but smile as the crowd went feral, as much as a Midwest emo crowd can.
American Football's stage presence is sombre and calming. They seem unsure why this is happening to them, but they embrace the stage. They have a special way of projecting the intimacy of their songs in a live setting. The dynamics and complex arrangements, crafted with meticulous detail, are not wasted here. The extended instrumental sections of the set are encapsulating and give everyone in the crowd time for the melancholic self-reflection we so desperately crave. I saw couples, friends and family members hugging, smiling and above all respecting the band members.
As they made their way through the album in its entirety, “The One With the Wurlitzer” comes to a close and Mike Kinsella announces “We’ve got one more song for you, and then we’ve got a bunch more songs for you” and they launch into that oh-so-familiar introduction to Never Meant, the song that everyone was waiting to hear. The crow matched the noise level of Mike's vocals, and word for word the entirety of the song was sung back to the band.
The Album came to a close and the members left the stage to come back to play some other favourites. Through no fault of the band's performance, I, unfortunately, couldn’t stay for the rest of the set as my train had just been cancelled, and I wasn’t about to become stuck in Bristol once again.
American Football excels at blending intricate musicianship with deep emotional resonance. Their live performance offers an intimate and immersive experience, capturing the essence of their reflective sound. Each song deepens their connection with fans, showcasing their lasting influence in indie and emo music.
