Five Iron Frenzy 1995-2003
A few of the records on my 2000-2003 list I purposely saved for last, such as New Found Glory and Brand New. However this particular band I wanted to save for VERY last because of how much they meant to me. I'm even breaking my own rules by including albums before 2000, because this bands comprehensive work affected me from the minute I first heard them. They were unapologetic about so many aspects of their careers and truly embody everything I wanted to revisit over these next few months.
We moved to Arizona in 1996 because my mother got a job at a new church working in children's ministry. This was a huge change for us and as my brother and I were both getting into "youth group" ages (10 and 14, respectively) we began getting involved in the youth groups of this new church. I was a little young, but my brother started hanging out with some boys in the group who often went to concerts together, even as a youth group. I had very little understanding of "christian" music outside of hymns and maybe Amy Grant or Michael W. Smith. My brother's friends took him to the "Ska Against Racism" tour in Phoenix (when I was WAYYY too young to go to shows) and saw a band called Five Iron Frenzy.
A few months later, we were up at our grandparent's cabin in New Mexico for Thanksgiving. My brother had the CD and for one reason or another I hadn't heard it and my family wanted to hear it as well. I remember rushing up the stairs and opening up the stereo system my grandfather had wired for the house. We crouched down on the carpet and put in Our Newest Album Ever! and started with the song "Handbook for the Sellout". Instantly I became obsessed with it, something I hadn't really felt for music yet, and I attribute this exact moment to guiding me where I am today. It was that simple.
This band became a part of so many milestones for me. They were my very first concert, which my parents were awesome enough to let me go to at age 11. Looking back, my parents were always cool with my love for music, letting me buy what I want and go to shows with my brother, and I thank them for it. I can even remember what I wore to my first show and that it was at First Baptist Church in Phoenix, in a space they called "Marvin's Place". I got a gnarly bloody nose and everyone thought that I had gotten hit by a crowdsurfer. I've never felt so punk rock. I have images in my head of that entire evening and just how infinite I felt when they played "Every New Day". I remember meeting some of my best friends at Five Iron Frenzy concerts and loving that that world and my church world could come together through this music. I found peace in songs like "Suckerpunch" as a kid who was teased pretty relentlessly for a while. I loved "Handbook for the Sellout" when I was trying to understand the punk rock music scene. I loved that there was a strong female in Jeff the Girl and the female perspective in songs like "One Girl Army" and "Something Like Laughter". I loved that I could feel okay about how I felt about faith with songs like "Every New Day", "On Distant Shores" and "Dandelions". I followed the band for the next six years, catching them live whenever I could, being at the record store the first day their albums came out. This was pre-iTunes at Midnight purchases and I can remember every single trip to pick up these records. I was the world's biggest champion of this band, learning how to draw their logo and telling everyone I could about them.
When I was a Senior in high school, I heard on the message boards that they were breaking up, mostly because the members were all getting older and they were at a good place to let it go. It really came at a poignant time for me as I was graduating high school, and this band was coming to an end. I ended up getting a part-time job because I wanted to save up to fly to Denver to see their last show. Ironically, it was because of that part-time job that I couldn't get off work to fly there (plus, I was 17, how on earth would I have pulled that off??) I ended up going to their last "mega" show (in leiu of my Senior year homecoming dance) at another church in Phoenix where they had a small table with tickets for an additional show the next night. I talked my parents into letting me go on a Sunday night and drove down with my friend Brad to see them at a small church in Mesa. There were about 150 kids there as they played in a small meeting hall. I am so glad I got to experience that show (video below!). The band passed around cookies, talked with the fans and everyone in the audience was a die-hard. I ended up having to go outside before the encore started because I started crying. This band meant so much to me and I even had the chance to tell Reese that after the show. I remember the drive home and Brad and I calling The Edge radio station to request a song during the ska/punk show. We finally got through and told the DJ we wanted to hear more Five Iron and he played it for us. I remember just being so insanely happy, despite that being the last time I'd see them play.
So why does this band mean so much? I don't have time to run through all of their records, but rather discuss what it was that made me feel so at home with them.
A) This was a band that showed me that christian music could rock: I never knew bands like this existed, nor that they were accepted in the Christian world. After hearing of Five Iron, I ended up getting into bands like the OC Supertones, the Insyderz, The W's, Ghoti Hook, Noggin Toboggan, MXPX, etc. It was a nice transition into some of the music I later got into for both myself and my parents to understand.
B) Because of their faith, their music meant a lot more: This band never apologized for being Christian. They would play with "secular" bands and were upfront about what they were about. It wasn't just asking people to consider faith, but moreso showing what faith can do to contribute. Many of their tours had a charity aspect and I recall bringing canned foods to that first show. Their lyrics weren't preachy but rather honest, sometimes tongue-in-cheek looks at organized religion. Reese was a man plagued by some of the shortcomings of his church but also praising them for the good things they have done. It was smart and progressive and encouraged making changes instead of dwelling on the negative.
C) This band was as human as I had ever seen in "rockstars": Weither it was because of their faith or not, this band felt as much like family to me as any band I have ever known. They were often times selling their own merch or in the audience talking to the fans. Reese refused to sign autographs, not because he felt above it, but because he felt it took away from what they were trying to do and putting the band on a pedastal. This was a family of 8 people who traveled in a school bus and who weren't really planning on being "rockstars" but resonated enough in people and recognized that enough to go ahead and go for it. Reese's lyrics were so honest and sometimes so dark and hard to hear. It brought up themes of knowing that the world is messed up and accepting being utterly human.
D) I don't know if I'll ever be as big of a music fan as I was for this band: This band happened before the avalanche of the internet and was as organic an experience as I will ever have as a fan. I found out about their shows through flyers handed out at other shows, not MySpace. I bought their tshirts when i saw them live, not on the internet. I bought every single one of their records in a record store and carried them with me everywhere. I can't even play my copy of Upbeats and Beatdowns. I learned about this band as humans, not as type on a wikipedia page. I jumped in the crowd and had every person's sweat on me and sang along to everything like I was the only one in the room. I will never dance as hard as I did for this music. It may have been my age, but the fact that I started to cry even writing this shows what kind of profound impact this band had on me.
This band existed in the campy ska world where bands were talking about beer and girls and martians from outer space. They embraced the christian scene and the "secular" scene and made no apologies. They were goofy and funny and honest and humble and made solid records with a solid message. Despite what your thoughts are on faith and religion, this band represents not only that, but the kind of music that can resonate in people from all walks and still make a 23 year old girl cry six years after they broke up.
I can't believe this was online. This is from the last show I saw in Phoenix. The quality isn't great, but I'm so happy I found this. My brain just flooded with memories
And even more amazing, a new DVD documentary about them coming out next winter! I can't wait!
We moved to Arizona in 1996 because my mother got a job at a new church working in children's ministry. This was a huge change for us and as my brother and I were both getting into "youth group" ages (10 and 14, respectively) we began getting involved in the youth groups of this new church. I was a little young, but my brother started hanging out with some boys in the group who often went to concerts together, even as a youth group. I had very little understanding of "christian" music outside of hymns and maybe Amy Grant or Michael W. Smith. My brother's friends took him to the "Ska Against Racism" tour in Phoenix (when I was WAYYY too young to go to shows) and saw a band called Five Iron Frenzy.
A few months later, we were up at our grandparent's cabin in New Mexico for Thanksgiving. My brother had the CD and for one reason or another I hadn't heard it and my family wanted to hear it as well. I remember rushing up the stairs and opening up the stereo system my grandfather had wired for the house. We crouched down on the carpet and put in Our Newest Album Ever! and started with the song "Handbook for the Sellout". Instantly I became obsessed with it, something I hadn't really felt for music yet, and I attribute this exact moment to guiding me where I am today. It was that simple.
This band became a part of so many milestones for me. They were my very first concert, which my parents were awesome enough to let me go to at age 11. Looking back, my parents were always cool with my love for music, letting me buy what I want and go to shows with my brother, and I thank them for it. I can even remember what I wore to my first show and that it was at First Baptist Church in Phoenix, in a space they called "Marvin's Place". I got a gnarly bloody nose and everyone thought that I had gotten hit by a crowdsurfer. I've never felt so punk rock. I have images in my head of that entire evening and just how infinite I felt when they played "Every New Day". I remember meeting some of my best friends at Five Iron Frenzy concerts and loving that that world and my church world could come together through this music. I found peace in songs like "Suckerpunch" as a kid who was teased pretty relentlessly for a while. I loved "Handbook for the Sellout" when I was trying to understand the punk rock music scene. I loved that there was a strong female in Jeff the Girl and the female perspective in songs like "One Girl Army" and "Something Like Laughter". I loved that I could feel okay about how I felt about faith with songs like "Every New Day", "On Distant Shores" and "Dandelions". I followed the band for the next six years, catching them live whenever I could, being at the record store the first day their albums came out. This was pre-iTunes at Midnight purchases and I can remember every single trip to pick up these records. I was the world's biggest champion of this band, learning how to draw their logo and telling everyone I could about them.
When I was a Senior in high school, I heard on the message boards that they were breaking up, mostly because the members were all getting older and they were at a good place to let it go. It really came at a poignant time for me as I was graduating high school, and this band was coming to an end. I ended up getting a part-time job because I wanted to save up to fly to Denver to see their last show. Ironically, it was because of that part-time job that I couldn't get off work to fly there (plus, I was 17, how on earth would I have pulled that off??) I ended up going to their last "mega" show (in leiu of my Senior year homecoming dance) at another church in Phoenix where they had a small table with tickets for an additional show the next night. I talked my parents into letting me go on a Sunday night and drove down with my friend Brad to see them at a small church in Mesa. There were about 150 kids there as they played in a small meeting hall. I am so glad I got to experience that show (video below!). The band passed around cookies, talked with the fans and everyone in the audience was a die-hard. I ended up having to go outside before the encore started because I started crying. This band meant so much to me and I even had the chance to tell Reese that after the show. I remember the drive home and Brad and I calling The Edge radio station to request a song during the ska/punk show. We finally got through and told the DJ we wanted to hear more Five Iron and he played it for us. I remember just being so insanely happy, despite that being the last time I'd see them play.
So why does this band mean so much? I don't have time to run through all of their records, but rather discuss what it was that made me feel so at home with them.
A) This was a band that showed me that christian music could rock: I never knew bands like this existed, nor that they were accepted in the Christian world. After hearing of Five Iron, I ended up getting into bands like the OC Supertones, the Insyderz, The W's, Ghoti Hook, Noggin Toboggan, MXPX, etc. It was a nice transition into some of the music I later got into for both myself and my parents to understand.
B) Because of their faith, their music meant a lot more: This band never apologized for being Christian. They would play with "secular" bands and were upfront about what they were about. It wasn't just asking people to consider faith, but moreso showing what faith can do to contribute. Many of their tours had a charity aspect and I recall bringing canned foods to that first show. Their lyrics weren't preachy but rather honest, sometimes tongue-in-cheek looks at organized religion. Reese was a man plagued by some of the shortcomings of his church but also praising them for the good things they have done. It was smart and progressive and encouraged making changes instead of dwelling on the negative.
C) This band was as human as I had ever seen in "rockstars": Weither it was because of their faith or not, this band felt as much like family to me as any band I have ever known. They were often times selling their own merch or in the audience talking to the fans. Reese refused to sign autographs, not because he felt above it, but because he felt it took away from what they were trying to do and putting the band on a pedastal. This was a family of 8 people who traveled in a school bus and who weren't really planning on being "rockstars" but resonated enough in people and recognized that enough to go ahead and go for it. Reese's lyrics were so honest and sometimes so dark and hard to hear. It brought up themes of knowing that the world is messed up and accepting being utterly human.
D) I don't know if I'll ever be as big of a music fan as I was for this band: This band happened before the avalanche of the internet and was as organic an experience as I will ever have as a fan. I found out about their shows through flyers handed out at other shows, not MySpace. I bought their tshirts when i saw them live, not on the internet. I bought every single one of their records in a record store and carried them with me everywhere. I can't even play my copy of Upbeats and Beatdowns. I learned about this band as humans, not as type on a wikipedia page. I jumped in the crowd and had every person's sweat on me and sang along to everything like I was the only one in the room. I will never dance as hard as I did for this music. It may have been my age, but the fact that I started to cry even writing this shows what kind of profound impact this band had on me.
This band existed in the campy ska world where bands were talking about beer and girls and martians from outer space. They embraced the christian scene and the "secular" scene and made no apologies. They were goofy and funny and honest and humble and made solid records with a solid message. Despite what your thoughts are on faith and religion, this band represents not only that, but the kind of music that can resonate in people from all walks and still make a 23 year old girl cry six years after they broke up.
I can't believe this was online. This is from the last show I saw in Phoenix. The quality isn't great, but I'm so happy I found this. My brain just flooded with memories
And even more amazing, a new DVD documentary about them coming out next winter! I can't wait!
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