Tuesday, October 14, 2014
It finally happened. After years of wanting and waiting, American Football fans finally got what they so eagerly asked for: a reunion.
The band played two shows prior to its three-night sold-out engagement at New York's Webster Hall (plus a secret show Saturday in Brooklyn). As the band walked out onto the stage Friday night, everything became real, after months of waiting. In front of a giant backdrop of their LP cover, the iconic house in front of a green sky, they tuned and readied themselves. At 9:15 p.m., they started to play the the opening notes of "Five Silent Miles."
Having not played their material in over a decade, there were audible mistakes. "Can we play a couple of these twice?" singer/guitarist Mike Kinsella joked after their second song. "Who has tickets for tomorrow?"
Throughout their set, the occasional mistake was made, either coming in too early or playing a wrong note. Even in "Never Meant," the band's most popular song, there were miscues. But they didn't matter much. American Football, a band that pioneered the emo genre and has influenced a countless number of acts, played their entire discography, their EP, LP and "The 7's" a bonus track off their LP reissue. Their set wasn't pristine, but it was perfect. Their set didn't sound note-for-note the same as it did on recording, but it didn't have to. Anyone in attendance had the privilege of seeing a band that influenced an entire musical generation, which is an experience few can claim to have.
Setlist
1. Five Silent Miles
2. The One With the Tambourine
3. Letters and Packages
4. Honestly?
5. For Sure
6. I'll See You When We're Both Not So Emotional
7. You Know I Should Be Leaving Soon
8. But the Regrets Are Killing Me
9. The 7's
10. Never Meant
Encore
11. The Summer Ends
12. Stay Home
13. The One With the Wurlitzer
Tags: american football , american football new york , american football reunion , american football webster hall , american football october 2014 , american football reunion 2014 , mike kinsella , FFW>>