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Biography
The band was formed by Mike Kinsella and Steve Lamos, who both played in The One Up Downstairs along with Dave and Allen Johnson, who would later form the band Very Secretary. Soon after The One Up Downstairs came together, they wrote three songs together in order to release them as a 7” vinyl on Polyvinyl Records. However, the band broke up before the record was pressed, and Kinsella and Lamos were determined to keep performing together. Together with Steve Holmes, a guitarist and mutual friend of theirs, they started putting together a new band, a band which you can tell was formed before the age of Google because they named it American Football.
The new power trio spent one year writing, recording and rehearsing before releasing their self-titled debut E.P, again through Polyvinyl Records. Like the vast majority of American underground punk releases, it was massively acclaimed by the very, very few people who heard it, but all the same, it was enough to justify the recording and release of their debut studio album, which came along in 1999. By this point, the acclaim for the album was so strong that word started to spread about the band into the overground punk scene, and the band started to attract the beginnings of a cult following.
However, the year after they released their first album, the band announced that they would become a studio only project, and soon after that the band decided to call it quits altogether, a mere three years after they’d formed. Over the 2000’s, the “American Football” album became a touchstone for the rising emo movement that took over the world of rock for a couple of years, and word about them began to spread faster than it had ever done when they were together thanks to the internet.
In 2014, nearly a decade and a half after they had split up originally, it was announced that the band were reuniting, and would tour the world over the next couple of years. Their first live shows in Illinois and New York were acclaimed as everything that fans of the band had hoped for during the time they’d been away. Unfortunately, there’s no sign yet of any new material, but there’s also no sign that they’ll be going off the road any time soon. With their technical emo rock more in favour than ever before, and the band members in the prime of their years, American Football come highly recommended.
Live reviews
There are a number of reasons to marvel at how a reformed band has “still got it”. They can be anything from “holy wow, they took so many drugs I’m surprised they can still pronounce their own name” (coughLibertinescough) to “holy wow, I hope I’m that cool when I’m (insert age of seventies rock god hear)”. However, American Football have hogged the best reason for themselves. When they first formed in 1997, they were together for just three years. And now , fourteen years after that fateful split, one album to their name and having had members play in the likes of Cap’n Jazz, Joan Of Arc, The Geese and DMS in the interim, they’re back together and absolutely slaughtering every live show they’re playing, again, fourteen years after last playing live at the very least. This isn’t some three chord pop-punk ramalama as well; they’re playing complex, layered and artistic emo-rock songs that would take any performer to their technical limits and Mike Kinsella, his brother Nate Kinsella, Steve Lamos and Steve Holmes are just flooring the biggest audiences the band have ever played to night after night after night. The worrying thing is that there’s no reason or indication that the reformation will continue after these live dates, so chances are that if you miss them, you miss out completely on seeing one of the greatest unsung heroes of the last twenty years of rock and roll music. So stop reading and buy a ticket. GO!
william-howard-2
It was unreal to see these guys live. It was like stepping into an emo time machine. Ive listened to this band for 12 years and played them on my college radio show. They have been the soundtrack to every significant break-up and quiet autumn day.You would never know that they had not been playing out for almost 15 years by the way they nailed it live. It was also really amazing to see how much of fan base is out there. They sold out Webster Hall three days in a row! Epic.
smellxmel
American Football put on one hell of a show! I would go watch them again. They played music from their first album. TRUMPET for days!! Can confirm 10/10. Real music, Real people.
jorge-magana
A very good show! TTNG were a bit quiet but AmFo rocked the house. They've still got it! A recommended see for any midwest emo fan. Lovin' them trumpet solos as well!
