@tamar.agam

Summer is fading, autumn is fast approaching, everything is changing— and who would know how to describe that feeling better than the band who literally wrote “The Summer Ends”? A month out from this concert, I’m still thinking about seeing American Football live at the Salt Shed. 

Afternoon Bike Ride opened the show with soft light and an overall ambiance echoing what was to come. Though I had never heard of them, their set was a real treat— their use of a looper paired with lead singer Lia Kurihara’s strong vocals ensnared my attention. Their second opener and old friends, Rainer Maria brought a lot more energy, getting the crowd excited. They played a bit of this and that, with energetic tracks easily mixed into more emotional songs like “Planetary”.

Then, of couse, there was the main act: American Football. Most midwesterners who were teens in the early 2000s likely have an emotional bond with this band— and although I was maybe a bit younger than the average concertgoer, I’m no different. Opening on “Man Overboard”— their first song on the new album— brought the members onto stage one at a time, drenched in blue light. Mike Kinsella sounds as smooth and melancholy as ever, and there was a really sense of comfort in what was happening on stage. And every time Steve Lamos pulled out his trumpet… incredible. One of the things I’ve always loved about this band is their unique instrumentation— especially their reliance on the trumpet, and hearing that live was absolute magic. 

Most songs were either from their newest album, LP4, or LP1 (which holds an unbelievable amount nostalgia, as evidenced by the screams when the album cover was projected onto their backdrop). “Bad Moons” was easily my favorite track from LP4, and having it be the very last song had me worried they were going to skip it entirely; but having experienced the entire concert… yeah, putting it last made it feel all the more devastating and beautiful. American Football is incredibly cathartic, and hearing them live has only amplified their power for me. And even thought they didn’t actually play “The Summer Ends”, this concert felt like the perfect end to summer, and begin autumn— the ideal American Football season (at least to me, anyway).

(PS. I’ve just gotta give a shout out to the guy who Shazammed Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” when it was playing in between sets… I guess not everyone knows…)