Rig Rundown: American Football’s Mike Kinsella & Steve Holmes
Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/AmericanFootballRR
Subscribe to PG’s Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube
Inventive open tunings, offset time signatures, jangly Teles, and dream-machine pedals help illuminate the cinematic melodies and moods for the archetype of Midwest emo.
The 15-year history of Rig Rundown has established that guitar gear fascination (and obsession) runs deep in our community. It’s the life blood of our show. But if there was ever antithetical example to guitar gluttony and equipment idolatry, it would be American Football. Their original self-proclaimed “bedroom college project” focused on self-expression, musical creativity, and working with what you had, which wasn’t much.
For the recording of their pioneering American Football album released in 1999, they borrowed most of their gear, shared a single guitar cable and tuner, didn’t use bass, and formulated odd open tunings that allowed for sinuously melodic cinematic passages between Kinsella and Holmes. Their exploration of unique open tunings inspire a legion of players include 6-string virtuoso Yvette Young. (She now ships all her signature Ibanez guitars in a tricky open tuning—F–A–C–G–B–E—derived from American Football.) Their ingenious and scrappy methods went on to inform the brand of Midwest emo that simmered a devoted fanbase waiting for their return after disbanding in 2000. First returning to the stage in 2014 and delivering two more American Football albums in 2016 and 2019, the band continues using minimal gear for maximum art.
Ahead of American Football’s headlining show at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, cofounding members Mike Kinsella (vocals/guitar) and Steve Holmes (guitar) invited PG’s Perry Bean onstage for a refreshingly practical gear chat. Kinsella recalls the band’s basic beginnings and explains how he starts every American Football demo. Then, Holmes shows off his “gorgeous and favorite” Tele. Plus, we encounter a Rig Rundown first where the tech has veto power over setlists.
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[Brought to you by D’Addario Trigger Capo: https://www.daddario.com/TriggerCaposRR]
00:00 – D’Addario Trigger Capos
00:15 – American Football Soundcheck Intro
00:55 – Perry Bean & Mike Kinsella Intro
01:44 – American Football’s Beginnings
02:41 – Exploring Open Tunings
05:08 – Mike Kinsella on Playing Telecasters
06:57 – Fender Player Plus Telecaster from Joe Trohman
08:36 – Mike Kinsella’s Fender Vintera 70s Tele Custom
09:20 – Mike Kinsella’s Fender Tele-Sonic
11:30 – Mike Kinsella’s Fender Deluxe Reverbs
12:32 – Mike Kinsella’s Pedalboard
17:41 – Tunings with Tech Mike Garzon
19:01 – Steve Holmes’ 2014 Fender American Elite Tele
19:41 – Steve Holmes’ Jazzmaster & Jaguar
20:44 – Steve Holmes’ Twin Reverbs
21:17 – Steve Holmes’ Pedalboard
*© Copyright Gearhead Communications LLC, 2023*
#guitar #guitarist #rigrundown #emo #midwestemo #americanfootball #guitarplayer
#Rig #Rundown #American #Footballs #Mike #Kinsella #Steve #Holmes
Originally posted by UC5J-hZ4wNf7OlkzIn49LHoQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb4jqJJntQQ
Shop American Football's Gear:
Fender Player Plus Telecaster – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/LXoZLM
DiMarzio Chopper T Bridge – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/xkXNGk
Fender American Professional Jazzmaster – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/nLj2Qx
Fender Vintera '70s Telecaster Custom – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/y2Em1D
Fender Deluxe Reverb – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/rQLg5B
Fender Twin Reverb – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/1roWAg
Keeley Caverns – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/B0e2L9
EarthQuaker Devices Avalanche Run – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/R5Y6V7
EHX Holy Grail Nano – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/q4k2Mn
EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/Qyz6DY
EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/PyVNgM
Walrus Audio Emissary – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/k0Qo6M
Nice shoutout to Victor Villarreal, who is definitely one of the most criminally undersung guitarists ever.
What’s that hair style called? The comb up-and-over?
It's endearing how little he knows about his gear but how well he uses it.
Hate to say it nothing wrong with it imo , i do it to ( dope) he keeps running index finger down nose , as well as pinching the end of nose and the index finger wiping the eye,
I love steve holmes
So I wonder if Owen's -The Avalanche is subconsciously inspired from staring at his Earthquaker Avalanche pedal during those AF tours
Mike Kinsella and AF are literally the reason i own a Telecaster. I might dip my toes into other guitars eventually, but Teles feel like home to me. Forever chasing the tone from AF EP1…
Sounds like whoever mic’ed that fender mic’ed Mike too. ????
I like that they use the same barber.
that capo ad jump scared me
victor villareal was a legend
The SM57 draped over that fender amp is weird as hell. I wonder how that sounds because it shouldn't work well at all.
I think of Victor from Cap'n Jazz and Owls as so impactful and is a huge reason of the birth of this style. Maybe even Kevin Shields with these alternate tunings, etc.
Saw them live. Tech guy Mike is the hardest working man.
same hairstyles lol
I met Mike in London years ago, such a cool guy
what in the hell is happening on your head? bro got the anime baby cut
Been waiting for this rig rundown for ages
You either die an indie hero, or live long enough to see yourself wearing mandals in your 40s.
The capo product placement at the beginning definitely knew its audience
Was this a beach emo festival?
Elder emo
Y'all should do one with Ruban from UMO. dude has some wild sounds on the current tour
And it starts with a capo add…attacked…????
Six minutes in and damn bro. Let him talk! I want to hear what HE thinks about his Fender guitar, not you.
Great video! Minus the LLBean Jesus sandals and the manpris jeans
I really need to meditate on how much of an impact these guys had on my life. Yowza
Never heard of ‘em.
Can somebody please remind me what that song they’re playing during their soundcheck is. Soooooooo good.
I'm glad they bought the house.
I already know this is gonna be an amazing rig rundown