On May 22, American Football and Mei Semones took the stage at the Regency Ballroom for a performance that was nothing short of wonderful. I was not the most familiar with Semones music prior to the show, but I have become a fast fan following the gorgeous opening set. Self-described “jazz influenced indie J-pop,” tracks flowed through in English and Japanese, with ethereal, beautiful music, accompanied with her own small string section. The crowd seemed well familiar with the music, singing along and dancing. The set bounced around between her recent releases and a new track that left the audience in a state of awe, and ready for the next act.
After a short intermission, American Football was up. For any not familiar, American Football is a midwestern emo band whose first ep (1998) and album (LP 1, 1999) have become a holotype of the genre. Originally formed as a high school band, the group has gone through many iterations forming and reforming, releasing a total of 4 LPs and 2 EPs to date. The current tour is in support of their 2026 release, and throughout the show I felt like I was sitting in on band rehearsal in the best way possible.
The bass was strong enough to be felt throughout my entire body, and the crowd was completely enraptured in a performance that was just incredible. For a band that has been performing and releasing music for the last 27 years, the crowd seems to have grown with the band. Where at most shows of the genre I would have expected a pit and a crowd full of phones recording the entire performance, it was pleasantly peaceful. People were swaying to the music, and few phones were in sight, further adding to the aura of a rehearsal. The show was fairly static, with the vast majority of the show just being the band playing together without any banter. They seemed to be genuinely having a lot of fun, with a full lineup plus trumpet and marimba.
At the end of the show, they projected their album art onto the stage and the crowd went wild. What the show lacked in high energy, it more than made up for in gorgeous visuals that moved in sync to the drums, and music that was just incredible. Getting to see them live felt like catharsis for the emo high school kid in me, and getting to be part of the crowd singing along to “Never Meant” was nothing short of wonderful.
Review and photography by Sophia Risin
