On Friday October 9, the line to the El Rey Theatre wrapped around the block with fans, not out of the regular for the venue, but tonight was different. The smell of foreign cigarettes laced the street and followed inside.

Chinese Football, the math rock band from Wuhan, China marked the second-stop of their West Coast leg of the Not Selected tour, the first series since 2024. Conversations with guests revealed how important this show was for Chinese in LA, OC, and lovers of the math rock genre in general.

“These bands never come, you should take the opportunity to see them when you can.”

- Matt, LA native

Surprisingly, there were many newer fans (6 months-2 years) amongst the audience who found the band online and resonated with the meaningful lyrics and sound.

Tracks many were itching to hear included, Electronic Girl, Rafting the World, Flying Fish, Dog’s Diary, and my personal pick The Last Emo Boy on Earth.

SUPERWORLD, the act from San Jose opened for the night with a distinct screamo sound, in contrast to the headliner’s more mellow take on the genre and mathy instrumentals. Vocals from four members supported their raw, unfiltered style, and garnered headbanging from goers in the center pit and the outer areas of the house. The set was polarizing and resonated through the theatre as anticipation grew for the main event.

After a short break, the band took the stage early--curtains opening to the four-piece act, the golden-haired drummer, Zheng Zili, sparkling under the stage lights.

 Towards the end of the set, Xu Bo “it’s Friday night, there are a lot of options, thank you for choosing us.” As many as there were with phones recording, the same if not more were swaying, eyes closed, savoring the moment.

As the night came to a close, excitement lingered and peace was felt among the many gathered there - a sense of gratitude for the portal into the rhythmic world created through the band’s storytelling. And as he said occasionally at the end of a song, Xu Bo softly spoke into his mic to all fans “thank you, 谢谢.”

Shoutout to three friends I made at the barricade/photo pit - Cherokee W, Bryan D, & Yida J (L to R) - for helping me out with my camera settings and talking college radio!

Photography by Sam Fago (@samfago.design)