American Football probably couldn’t have predicted that the house featured on the cover of their 1999 self-titled debut album would become one of the most recognizable landmarks in indie rock. When the band got word recently that the suburban Illinois property was on the market, they decided there was only one thing to do: Buy it themselves before developers could.
Aptly nicknamed “The American Football House,” no members of the band actually ever lived at 704 W. High Street in Urbana. But some acquaintances did, and for whatever reason, the band’s photographer pal Chris Strong figured a gloomy picture of its top floor would make for a solid album cover. The house has since been considered a piece of emo history, which evidently isn’t recognized in the real estate biz.
“Last fall we received word that 704 W High Street in Urbana might be sold soon,” American Football wrote on Twitter Friday. “Shortly thereafter American Football, Polyvinyl, Chris Strong, Atiba Jefferson, and Open House Contemporary made a pact: we’d all buy the house together before developers could demolish it and build a condo.”
The post goes on: “Today, with sincere joy, we are excited to share that we have collectively purchased The American Football House in an effort to preserve its place and legacy within the community that built it. Here’s to keeping this landmark alive for many more years to come.”
American Football first broke up shortly after the release of their first LP. However, when they reunited for their sophomore album in 2016, they used an interior shot of the very same house for that cover. To the uninitiated, “The American Football House” certainly doesn’t look like anything special, but somehow, it manages to capture the energy of music that would become extremely significant. See American Football’s post below.
American Football’s third and most recent album — also titled American Football — was released in 2019. Earlier this year, band members/cousins Mike and Nate Kinsella released an album together under the moniker LIES.
— American Football (@americfootball) May 5, 2023
