On October 24, the Yangtze and Duwamish rivers met on the shores of the Puget Sound as Wuhan-based indie rock band, Chinese Football, captivated a sold out audience at Madam Lou’s. Seattle was the second-to-last stop on the Chinese band’s first North American tour.
The crowd consisted of devoted and adoring long-time fans and recent admirers, both Chinese and American. Also in attendance were numerous midwest emo and math rock enthusiasts. All were eager to see one of China’s notable indie groups finally perform for the first time in Seattle.
Opening the evening was local Seattle-based math rock band Armature. A high-energy set established a spirited tone for the evening. Armature frontman, Owen Xia, described feeling shocked and surprised when Chinese Football reached out on social media asking if they would play with them. Armature, itself consisting of three Chinese American musicians, was ecstatic.
Chinese Football is a four-piece band consisting of Xu Bo (frontman, guitar), Wang Bo (guitar), Li Lixin (bass), Zheng Zili (drums). Founded in 2011, the band takes inspiration from American Football, one of the early pioneers of the midwest emo sound in indie rock originating in Urbana, Illinois during the late 90s and early 00s.
For the unfamiliar, midwest emo is characterized by melodic, arpeggiated guitar rhythms in non-standard tuning, and sentimental, heartfelt lyrics. The genre ranges between gentle, steady rhythms with lyrics reflecting tender melancholy to raw, high energy jams —owing additional influences from screamo, garage rock, and punk.
Xu cites the rhythms of life on the Yangtze as a source of inspiration for much of the band’s themes. Chinese Football combines elements originally developed in America’s underground scenes with the rhythms of life made everyday on the banks of Wuhan, shaped by the motion of ships, ferries, and countless ordinary, hard-working Wuhanese people. As a show of appreciation for their roots, the band once played a live set on the Wuhan Ferry.
The indie rock scene in China has rapidly developed over the last 30 years, drawing from a range of influences from across the world. Chinese Football is one of those bands adding dynamism to an evolving and expanding genre as more music from China and East Asia builds a global audience. Wuhan itself is a city where great currents meet. It is there the Yangtze and Han rivers make their confluence.
Cultures mix and meld in China’s ninth largest city. Artistic influences from around the world — many currents, many streams — all feed into this storied, dynamic place. It is no surprise that Wuhan is a beating heart of the Chinese indie and underground music scene. Chinese Football emerges from this context and reflects Wuhan’s global influences back outward in dialectical fashion.
Chinese Football played an impressive set across their entire discography, opening with “Game Start,” followed by popular hit “Electronic Girl.” Also notable were “Dog’s Diary” and “Rafting in the World” from their 2019 release Continue?
Hearing “Wuhan” from their most recent album Win & Lose (2022) live was incredibly moving. It’s a song that can only be described as a love letter to their home city and its resilient people that remained steadfast through the pandemic. Zheng Zili’s ethereal opening vocals spoke to an indomitable spirit. “Wuhan” is a call for hope and optimism — to see light at the end of darkness.
Throughout the set, fans swelled with pride. The crowd often broke out into chants of “Wǔhàn niú bī!” [*Z汉${٩G!] —Wuhan is amazing!
As the night closed, Chinese Football expressed deep gratitude for the chance to play in Seattle, with Xu paying homage to Seattle’s position as a major place of development in rock and roll. He went on further to share an old saying: “Kuàilè de shíguāng zǒng shì duǎnzàn” [’ض乐*:时٪ڑ总،O٥u暂] — Happy times are always short. Chinese Football’s time in Seattle was indeed short, and I, like many others, wondered when we would meet again. It is our hope that Chinese Football returns to Seattle and the United States soon, so again the Yangtze and Duwamish can meet once more on the fateful shores of Puget Sound.
