Concert Series: American Football
- BLIGATORY
- Jun 15
- 5 min read
Feat: Sea Lemon
Writing and Photography by Trent "Pax" Lowder
Touring the 25th anniversary of their seminal self-titled debut album (colloquially known as LP1), American Football stopped by Portland, OR’s Revolution Hall for two nights. Masterfully performing their influential brand of jazzy, jangly midwest emo rock, American Football delivered to fans a chance to reminisce on a record that helped define evolving for so many.
Sea Lemon
Opening up for the night was Seattle based indie rock outfit Sea Lemon, who oscillated between dancey riffs with atmospheric bedroom pop styles. With only a handful of singles and an EP on streaming but a full debut album set to release only days after the show, they gave the crowd a sneak peek at some of the songs that were to be found on their upcoming album. The tracks performed were generally airy and easy to listen to, shrewdly balancing lighthearted energy with pockets of slower cinematic moments that hearkened to the Cranberries in their connectedness; their sounds felt consistent as far as intentionality, showcasing an impressive ability to naturally intertwine different directions.
Long term, Sea Lemon will undoubtedly be successful in not getting stuck in a box like many young alternative bands do, without trying too hard to actually avoid that. In addition to a very palatable style of music the band also seemed approachable in their stage presence, taking time to be engaging with the crowd by sharing news like two of the members’ recent engagement, the bassist’s yoyo proficiency, and asking the audience to answer on the count of three, “what is the worst way to die?” Sea Lemon had a charm that goes a long way when opening for a band with as much status in the same genre as American Football, and they surely made fans out of the unfamiliar this evening.
American Football
The self-titled debut album by the hugely influential indie rock/midwest emo band American Football is simply one of those records. LP1, as it’s commonly referred to as today, is the kind of album that if you love it, you LOVE it. Consistently one of the most cited pieces of emo music media for pioneering subgenres, it also holds immense weight in that its expansive, cinematic, poignant sound anchored itself as a favorite of many upon its release in 1999. When American Football announced a tour to celebrate LP1’s 25th anniversary, the long-time obsessives (such as myself) had to experience a live performance of songs that have attached themselves as part of their musical identity for the last quarter century. What surprised us, though, was how many more people have felt the same gravitational pull in the times since American Football’s heyday.
In the 21+ section of the venue, a crowd of mostly older millennials with slip-on Vans and trad tattoos swarmed eagerly for the band to come on stage, but taking a hike up to the all-ages balcony and the striking number of younger people was both intriguing and, in a way, promising. Be it a product of social media music outlets citing Pinegrove or any number of other emo adjacent acts in bits and pieces, it felt more like an indication that the band, and specifically this album, has transcended its “time and place” in indie-rock legacy. American Football has a lyrical and musical identity that has an opportunity to resonate with anyone of any age due to their sincerity, a quality that is quite easy to identify in music as emotional as LP1 is.
As the band starts up and a backdrop of the iconic house from the cover of LP1 reveals itself, they immediately show their instrumental chops; the patented layers of chiming guitars and expansive cymbal laden percussion that coalesces in an atmosphere wholly original to the band. Keeping in mind a huge portion of LP1 is instrumental, and it’s actually a testament to the bands proficiency with their tools that they have successfully conveyed so much evocative substance on this album. And the substance definitely comes through in a live setting. American Football has a knack for fluctuating between a jazzy, eccentric barrage of sound and a clean and peaceful traditional song structure. Combine that musical energy with visuals of midwest American life such as blue skies and greenery, the facade of the aforementioned cover-art house and of its interior white walls and hardwood floors, and the audience gets something damn close to a film. As a side note, shout out to the visuals department for this tour as the tiniest blink-and-you-might-miss-it details like a shadow entering the house or lights turning on and off really added a lot of depth to the performance.
Frontman Mike Kinsella’s vocals have an imperfection that perfectly encapsulates the era and style of emo he helped define – it’s not the voice of a thousand takes, it’s the voice of the one take that captured the essence correctly. Frankly, Kinsellas vocals aren’t even quite at the level of the initial recording of LP1, but they didn’t have to be. The blemishes convey everything just as well, maybe even better when dissecting the kind of heartbreak, uncertainty, and eagerness that is the album's intention. It also interestingly reflects the growth and maturity that develops as you age; Kinsella even admitted it himself in reference to the song “For Sure” when he said “this song, I love to play it, but there’s no way I could have written it today.” If everything stayed the same forever, what would be the point of doing it again?
Kinsella’s vocals did nothing to detract from the performance, as it was apparent to all that the passion was still at a high. He bounced off the rest of the band naturally, whether it be instrumental heavy songs like “The Summer Ends” and “Stay Home” or songs where Kinsella added flair vocally like “Honestly?” or “But the Regrets Are Killing Me”, they never missed a beat. There’s an argument to be made that the live performances of these songs are even better than the studio recordings as the cascading nature of their jazz-influenced rock hits a bit harder when it’s being performed only 30 feet away. Kinsella joked at one point that he was “fully aware that this is like the lamest rock band,” but when they turned up the distortion a bit and really got into the groove they felt like a paramount contributor to one of the most diverse genres of music.
While the tour was touted as a 25th anniversary celebration of LP1, they did perform a sprinkling of material off their 2016 and 2019 LPs as well. The reception was perhaps a hair less enthusiastic than that of the entirety of LP1, but the songs still fit seamlessly into the whole of the performance. It was however the final song that the crowd was anxiously waiting for – American Football’s defining track with the iconic riff referenced so often when dissecting Midwest Emo as a subgenre. “Never Meant” was a collective deep breath for the crowd, a song with 25 years of pivotal moments, emotional evolutions, and life-changing events tied to it. It might seem hyperbolic but consider that this is a cult favorite in a genre known for producing soundtracks to vitally significant events for its fans. Take a quick glance around the room as the band performed “Never Meant” to a T and you might find people with tears in their eyes, friends with arms wrapped over each other's shoulders swaying side to side, or fans singing the lyrics mesmerised by the iconic band performing the iconic song in front of them, perhaps reminiscing on the first time they heard the track. Call me crazy, but it certainly didn’t seem like a reaction that the “lamest rock band” would garner.
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