American Football Tour 2026
- Phantom Light Media
- May 20
- 3 min read
Sometimes I attend a show with one set of expectations and discover that what I thought I was going to get was not even close to reality. American Football being one of the pioneers of midwest emo, I had a completely different sound in mind. The supporting band also caught me by surprise as well.
Everyone, I believe, knows it’s graduation season. That means copious amounts of traffic in downtown Boise and on the way there. Well I forgot about that on my way to cover American Football at Treefort Music Hall Monday the 18th of May. At least I have a habit of leaving too early and arriving too early for a show, because of that I arrived right at doors.
I wasn’t expecting jazz. I should have done my research, but I do enjoy delightful surprises and that's exactly what I got to see and hear when Mei Semones and the band took the stage. Mei Semones, out of Brooklyn, is one of those artists that has left a mark on me. Her voice is incredibly beautiful. Backed with her jazz influenced accompaniment it became a sound I really couldn't get past. I love the violin and there was a viola and a violin that were well played when I could hear them. So sweet and up beat, with a mix of English amongst Japanese lyrics I was really impressed. She has a certain shyness in her stage presence that really fits the atmosphere she creates for her fans. The room becomes a lounge, everyone quietly relaxed enjoying her smooth sound. She is someone to keep your eye on. If she is in your town I suggest you catch her set.
Now, it was time for American Football. When I heard midwest emo I thought of something completely different. I had to do a deep dive into the subgenre to see if I was mistaken on my expectations. I was and I wasn’t. American Football is unique to their genre. They’re not quite as edgy sounding as others and far more ambient then all of them. They create this gentle twinkly feeling with their music. It's almost psychedelic and I really enjoyed it. It took me back to the days in high school where I would get elevated, turn on ambient music, lay down in bed, and let it take me away to far off, colorful places. They had some impressive videos being projected across the band and stage, and timed to the music that did nothing less than build the atmosphere of the room more. This was accompanied by well timed lights. Their stage presence was fairly stoic and fit their sound as well with the occasional trumpet being played. I also have a feeling they may have been dialing it back from the festival they played the day before. I heard stories from the people who went and I guess it got pretty wild. We were warned there may be crowd surfers and a mosh pit but there was no way the energy of the music that night was going to incite people to do so. It stayed quite mellow throughout the night.
I eventually put the gear away and enjoyed the show. Taking in the moment and the music, just happy to be there. I visited with friends and talked about the music and the show. None of us had anything negative to say. Although, I did keep talking about how I had a completely different expectation of what I was thinking I would hear that night. Oh, and also the tom foolery that was the drive to get to the Hall.
Photos & Review By: Justin Webb
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