American Football Brings Midwest Emo Back to Asheville

Throughout the long history of punk music and its subgenres, only a fraction of bands in the scene can claim to define a punk genre. Older acts like Dead Kennedys or the Sex Pistols gained fame by ushering in the genre’s early popularity, and every new wave of punk and emo music since has its own figureheads. One of its more niche genres, Midwest emo, has found its home in the scene since the mid-1990s, coming from — you guessed it — the Midwest United States and all of its glorious corn-fed bands. From the early sparks of this genre came the introduction of a little group dubbed American Football in 1997, formed by college roommates Mike Kinsella (vocalist), Steve Holmes (lead guitar), and Kinsella’s former bandmate Steve Lamos (drums). With almost three decades since its genesis, American Football has amassed millions of fans worldwide and become one of the biggest names in the now-resurging Midwest emo scene — and they just gave Asheville one hell of a show.

If you’re a casual listener of the punk genre, there’s a good chance that Midwest emo didn’t come into your spotlight until the past decade or so, but don’t feel bad if this is new to you. The Midwest emo movement, which started as a softer blend of math rock’s funky time signatures and emo’s depressing lyricism, reached its first peak in the late 90s but was swiftly and mostly overshadowed by pop-punk’s domination of the rock/punk scene from the 90s well into the late 2010s. While it lived on in smaller communities, it mostly laid low until the early 2010s, when its revival spurred a new wave within the genre. 

American Football’s reformation after disbanding in 2000 played a notable part in its resurgence, and the intro to the band’s already popular track "Never Meant" went viral on social media a few years back. The band released their fourth self-titled LP back in May, breaking a 7-year dry spell without any music, and it's absolutely worth a listen if you haven't heard it already. With the genre returning sporting a fresh coat of paint, American Football’s current tour with Ian Sweet has Midwest emo fans showing up at almost 40 different venues across the globe, and their stop in the mountains of Asheville was undeniably incredible.

After Ian Sweet’s wonderful opening set filled with heartbreak and yearning, American Football took the stage to a sold-out show at the Orange Peel. With a warm welcome from the fans, the band softly started things off with two brand-new songs from their recent album. The stage was illuminated with a projection of soft landscapes, sunsets, and rainstorms, immersing the audience in the melancholy atmosphere now surrounding them. Six performers filled the stage with a variety of instruments, consisting of the four primary band members and two additional musicians on a keyboard, xylophone, tambourine, and maracas, branching out into instruments most wouldn’t assume a band to be playing with. 

Following some heartfelt thanks to the crowd as the first few songs concluded and we photographers left the photo pit, American Football then slowly moved back in time through their 3rd LP to their 2nd LP before ending with their 1st and most popular LP by playing “Honestly?” After that came “Stay Home,” another lengthy track and one of my personal favorites off the LP, before finally giving the fans what they wanted most by playing their flagship song “Never Meant,” with the intro riff drawing a monumental roar of applause from the crowd. And despite being a slow song like all the others, it flew by with excitement from the fans who were finally able to hear it live.

For their encore, American Football played four brand-new songs from LP4 and then said their final goodbyes for the night and left the fans to flood out of the venue into the disgustingly warm July mountain heat. And that was a wrap for Asheville! With the tour now having concluded its 2nd leg in the US in Atlanta, the band will soon be heading overseas to Asia before ending the tour back in the States next month! With this tour being one of the band’s largest ever, it’s a night you definitely don’t want to miss if you’re a fan of them. The final leg will take place across the Midwest (go figure), and if those dates are going to be anything like this night, these 9 shows will be packed to the brim with new and old fans alike!