Five Iron Frenzy
Encyclopedia
Five Iron Frenzy is a Christian ska
band formed in Denver
, Colorado
in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. The band announced they were recording new material on November 22, 2011.
The band's music was most heavily influenced by ska
and punk rock
, but their influences also include heavy metal
. Their songs often include salsa-style shouting, sophisticated literary and music references, and elaborate trombone solos. The band was signed to 5 Minute Walk
in 1996, and stayed with the label for nine of its releases. Two other albums were self-released, and another was released through Asian Man Records.
The band never received any significant music industry awards, and received relatively little attention in mainstream media. Their biggest national exposure came when their song, "Oh, Canada" (which referenced William Shatner
), appeared on the TV series Boston Legal
(in which Shatner stars) in October 2005, almost two years after their last show. For some of the earlier Britanick web videos their outro would be the song "Far, Far, Away" off of the album Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo. Over the course of their career they sold close to one million units in total.
They were known for their positive lyrics and energetic live shows. They often performed their concerts while wearing full costumes (mostly vocalist Reese Roper
); on one tour the entire band wore Star Trek
uniforms. The band was known for their themed tours, sometimes using them to raise awareness for social causes. On more than one tour they told fans to bring sock puppets on stage and help sing along. The socks, and fresh-bought socks alike, were then donated to a local homeless shelter. Their fan base was diverse, ranging from the socially and religiously outcast to the parents of teenage fans. The band played shows at both churches and secular venues throughout their career. The band's name began as an inside joke, and the band was generally known for their humour, displayed throughout their albums and on stage.
Recurring lyrical themes included the continuing injustices done to Native Americans
, the evils of consumerism
, Christian hypocrisy
, the shortcomings of the band, and the joy of finding renewal in their Christian faith.
, Keith Hoerig
, Micah Ortega
, and Scott Kerr's band Exhumator. Exhumator had an industrial thrash metal sound, but its members weren't into the style. Their only widely released song was "Spam Jam", on the compilation Green Manna (Fifty280 Records). Beginning in May, 1995, the group began adding members, and they settled on a ska
sound in June with the addition of Brad Dunham. The band, sans Micah, Jeff, and Dennis, played on an impromptu stage set up at a skate ramp
at the 1995 Cornerstone festival. The show included Ghoti Hook
(before they signed with Tooth & Nail), and the audience included Alex Parker of Flying Tart
Records. Although the show was supposed to be closed down by Andrew Mandell of Crashdog
and Ballydowse
, it wasn't; The band attributes some of their early success to the fact that they were allowed to play and Five Iron returned the next year sponsored by a record label.
In August Culp and Leanor Ortega
officially joined, completing the initial lineup. The band's original intent was to stay local, and they opened for acts such as the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Less Than Jake
, and Skankin' Pickle
, playing over sixty shows during their first eight months. Though many of these shows were played in regular venues, a great number were also played in churches and at Christian-sponsored events, including the 1996 Cornerstone Festival on the Alarma Records
stage. They entertained several offers from major Christian record label
s including Alarma, Tooth & Nail Records
, and Brainstorm Artists International
before signing to Frank Tate's 5 Minute Walk Records in August.
Their first album, Upbeats and Beatdowns
was recorded in September and initially released in November 1996. Its national release in April, 1997 proved an early success for Five Iron, as the release peaked at 39 on Billboards "Top Contemporary Christian" chart. By the time of the release of their second album, Upbeats had sold 50,000 units. The music video
for "A Flowery Song" received a Dove Award nomination in the "short form video" category. That year was largely spent on the road, and the band played 150 shows. Early on, the band was active in promoting social causes. Their song "Where the Zero Meets the Fifteen", which brought attention to the cause of homelessness
, received some radio airplay. That October the band embarked on the "Rock Your Socks Off" tour, for which attendees were asked to bring clean sock
s for donation to local homeless shelter
s.
In November 1997 the band released their second album, Our Newest Album Ever!
. Following the success of their first album, the band felt that their success had been based at least partially on the third wave of ska in general. According to Scott Kerr "The unfortunate reality is that good songs and good live performances have far less to do with our so-called success than our being a part of the 'flavor-of-the-month'." Five Iron Frenzy sought to distance themselves from the ska scene while maintaining their artistic integrity. Dennis Culp portrayed their goal, stating that "The Police
used a lot of ska, but they really weren't referred to as a ska band... they went far beyond ska." For Five Iron, the method of achieving that goal was the creative process. On the first three releases Roper wrote most of the lyrics and Kerr supplied the musical portion. After Kerr left, the band began to explore a wider variety of musical influences, incorporating diverse influences such as Latin and swing music. Roper continued to write the lyrics, a task that he took seriously. He explained to 7ball in 1997 that "It's not like we try to sit down and write wacky songs. I take songwriting pretty seriously... I've been given this podium. I have a responsibility to tell the truth about things."
Their most significant tour in 1998 was the Ska Against Racism tour, which raised awareness of and money for anti-racism
causes. Five Iron was the only openly Christian band on the tour, yet in typical style refrained from using their set as a platform to preach to the crowds. Later that year, they embarked on the national SkaMania tour with The Insyderz
and The OC Supertones. Five Iron found this tour was markedly different for the band in terms of interacting with both the audience and their tourmates because both of the other participating bands were Christian bands. In 1998, songwriter and lead guitarist Scott Kerr left the band on friendly terms and started his own project, Yellow Second. Kerr's final appearance and the introduction of replacement Sonnie Johnston (of Jeffries Fan Club
) occurred at the album release party for the band's first EP, Quantity Is Job 1
, on November 3, 1998 at the Aztlan Theater in Denver.
They reached the peak of their popularity around 2000, with the release of All The Hype That Money Can Buy
. With the release of Hype, the band continued to diversify their sound, incorporating calypso
, salsa
, and reggae
. Musically Hype turned out to be their most eclectic album. The band toured internationally throughout 2000. Mid summer the band toured in South Africa
, and in December they played in Europe. By the time of the release of their next album, the band had sold over a cumulative half-million albums worldwide.
Culp's musical direction became prominent, although the composition duties were spread somewhat amongst band members. Production and engineering for every album was led by Masaki "Saki" Liu
at his One Way Studio. With the release of Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo
, FIF's sound leaned more towards horn-tinged hard rock than ska, although all of the original horns were still intact. According to Keith Horeg: "It's a rock record with horns, in the vein of Chicago
and the Rolling Stones, who have horns all over their records." 2001 marked a turning point for the band as their record contract with Five Minute Walk ran out, leading to rumors that the band would break up. For a time they considered signing with a major label, but they decided to finish their career with 5 Minute Walk.
In late 2001 the band embarked on the "Electric Youth" tour with Relient K
, John Reuben
, and Ace Troubleshooter
. On this tour again the audience was asked to bring socks for donation to local homeless shelters, and to make them into sock puppets for audience participation. On this tour the audience numbered about 1,200 per night, creating what was referred to as the "worlds largest sock puppet choir." Socks were also judged afterward in a "Sock Puppet Pageant" of sorts, with prizes given in various categories. The tour's name is a tribute to Debbie Gibson, who wrote an album by the same name
.
In early 2003 Five Iron announced their impending breakup via their web site. They dedicated their final year to their fans, playing at many major Christian music festivals and releasing Cheeses...(of Nazareth)
, a collection of joke songs and B-sides
, and their final studio album, The End Is Near
. After clarifying that instead of "breaking up" they were "quitting," they embarked on a national tour entitled the "Winners Never Quit Tour" with Bleach, Holland, and Cameron Jaymes. They played their final show on November 22, 2003 at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver
, Colorado
. The night before the show Denver received a heavy snow, many fans wondered if the show would be canceled. This show had an attendance of over 3,600 people and was widely released in 2004 as the double disk
set The End Is Here, alongside The End Is Near.
(John Warne
and Josh Abbot) and the OC Supertones (Ethan Luck
). The band recorded a three-song EP before the members moved on to other projects. Roper then signed under his own name - Roper
- and released the album Brace Yourself for the Mediocre
on 5 Minute Walk Records. Roper also presided over the band Brave Saint Saturn
- a studio side-project telling the story of stranded astronauts. The project started in 1995 as a Five Iron side project and has released three albums. Their long awaited third album, Anti-Meridian, was released 15 September 2008.
Although there was a rumor that an act billed as "Reese Roper and his 5 Iron Friends" was scheduled to play at Soulfest
2007 in Gilford, New Hampshire
, this rumor was later dispelled by Leanor (the saxophonist) in a blog on her myspace page, but Reese Roper did play an acoustic set at Soulfest 2008 as well as some hosting of the 'Inside Out' stage.
On July 22, 2008, after many years of dormancy, the Five Iron Frenzy website was relaunched with new content. The site is now fan run and hosts photos and content from the band's past as well interviews with formers members and news on their current projects. In August 2008, BraveSaintSaturn, the side project of Five Iron Frenzy members Reese, Keith, Dennis and Andrew which ran along Five Iron Frenzy for many years, also relaunched their official website to support their third album. Of interest to Five Iron Frenzy fans is Reese Roper's appearance on the site's message board and willingness to answer fan question about the happenings of Five Iron Frenzy's members over the past years.
On Sept. 16, 2009 it was announced through Facebook that a FIF DVD titled 'The Rise and Fall of Five Iron Frenzy' would be coming in winter of 2010. A website was launched as well. According to the Asian Man Records website, the DVD was released to pre-orders March 19, 2010 and became available in stores in April 2010. The DVD contains a 3-hour documentary filmed and edited mainly by Reese Roper, composed of interviews with the band members and live performance and tour travel footage.
During the fall of 2011, the band's website went live with a countdown to November 22, which is the eighth anniversary for the band's final show at the Fillmore in Denver. Roper and Ortega Till began posting through several major social media outlets that an "awesome" announcement was coming on November 22, leading to increased speculation that the band would soon see its resurrection. The speculation increased as the band began posting links to an Internet scavenger hunt for clues which led to a full contingent of reactivated, re-purposed and new websites for the band, its members and related projects. On November 22, 2011, the band announced they were writing new material and working on a new record, and gave away a free song titled "It Was A Dark And Stormy Night" with the file name "Hope Still Flies".
and Letter to a Christian Nation
as favorite books on his personal Facebook page. Other members of the band remain involved in Christian churches to various degrees.
During an Interview on Broken FM, Leanor Ortega Till described a two-year period of her own severe doubts which caused her to try to avoid fans. She now serves as a missionary pastor at the Scum of the Earth Church in Denver, supported by donations.
and Keith Hoerig appear below:
refers to Five Iron Frenzy in their song "Five Iron Frenzy Is Either Dead or Dying" in their album The Bird and the Bee Sides
.
Christian ska
Christian ska is a form of alternative Christian music, and sub-genre of ska and ska-punk which is lyrically oriented toward Christian music. Though ska did not constitute a genre within the Christian music industry until after third wave ska had peaked in the general market, Christian ska...
band formed in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. The band announced they were recording new material on November 22, 2011.
The band's music was most heavily influenced by ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
and punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, but their influences also include heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. Their songs often include salsa-style shouting, sophisticated literary and music references, and elaborate trombone solos. The band was signed to 5 Minute Walk
5 Minute Walk
5 Minute Walk is an independent record label founded by Frank Tate in April, 1995. Their operations were based in Concord, California in the back offices of "The Screem", a live alternate music club operated by Tate. They only carried Christian bandsDryve: Yeah, that was like the first thing...
in 1996, and stayed with the label for nine of its releases. Two other albums were self-released, and another was released through Asian Man Records.
The band never received any significant music industry awards, and received relatively little attention in mainstream media. Their biggest national exposure came when their song, "Oh, Canada" (which referenced William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
), appeared on the TV series Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
(in which Shatner stars) in October 2005, almost two years after their last show. For some of the earlier Britanick web videos their outro would be the song "Far, Far, Away" off of the album Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo. Over the course of their career they sold close to one million units in total.
They were known for their positive lyrics and energetic live shows. They often performed their concerts while wearing full costumes (mostly vocalist Reese Roper
Reese Roper
Michael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released...
); on one tour the entire band wore Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
uniforms. The band was known for their themed tours, sometimes using them to raise awareness for social causes. On more than one tour they told fans to bring sock puppets on stage and help sing along. The socks, and fresh-bought socks alike, were then donated to a local homeless shelter. Their fan base was diverse, ranging from the socially and religiously outcast to the parents of teenage fans. The band played shows at both churches and secular venues throughout their career. The band's name began as an inside joke, and the band was generally known for their humour, displayed throughout their albums and on stage.
Recurring lyrical themes included the continuing injustices done to Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, the evils of consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
, Christian hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
, the shortcomings of the band, and the joy of finding renewal in their Christian faith.
History
Five Iron Frenzy started as a side-project of Reese RoperReese Roper
Michael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released...
, Keith Hoerig
Keith Hoerig
Keith Hoerig is best known as the bass guitarist for Five Iron Frenzy and Brave Saint Saturn. He later assisted former band-mate Reese Roper with booking his new band, Roper....
, Micah Ortega
Micah Ortega
Micah Ortega is best known as a guitarist for Five Iron Frenzy. He was born on May 31, 1976 in Greeley, Colorado and is a graduate of Heritage High School in Littleton, Colorado...
, and Scott Kerr's band Exhumator. Exhumator had an industrial thrash metal sound, but its members weren't into the style. Their only widely released song was "Spam Jam", on the compilation Green Manna (Fifty280 Records). Beginning in May, 1995, the group began adding members, and they settled on a ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
sound in June with the addition of Brad Dunham. The band, sans Micah, Jeff, and Dennis, played on an impromptu stage set up at a skate ramp
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
at the 1995 Cornerstone festival. The show included Ghoti Hook
Ghoti Hook
Ghoti Hook was a pop punk band from Fairfax, Virginia. The band formed in 1991, signed to Tooth & Nail Records in 1996, and disbanded in 2002.-History:...
(before they signed with Tooth & Nail), and the audience included Alex Parker of Flying Tart
Flying Tart
Flying Tart was an independent record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It was started by Alex Parker, formerly of R.E.X. Records, and operated from 1990 until 1996 when it was purchased by Light Records.-Bands:*Aleixa...
Records. Although the show was supposed to be closed down by Andrew Mandell of Crashdog
Crashdog
Crashdog was one of the first Christian punk bands and was active primarily in the early 1990s. Most of their albums were released by Grrr recordS, which has also been home to Headnoise, Resurrection Band, and Glenn Kaiser, among others....
and Ballydowse
Ballydowse
Ballydowse is a celtic punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois with a rare mix of anarchist and religious ideas infused into their music. Many of the group's members were from the Jesus People U.S.A. commune. In addition to the group's Mekons/Pogues-style Celtic punk influences, the group also draws...
, it wasn't; The band attributes some of their early success to the fact that they were allowed to play and Five Iron returned the next year sponsored by a record label.
In August Culp and Leanor Ortega
Leanor Ortega
Leanor Ortega Till is best known as the saxophonist for Five Iron Frenzy. Once more commonly known as Jeff the Girl, she was the sole female during the band's tenure...
officially joined, completing the initial lineup. The band's original intent was to stay local, and they opened for acts such as the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
, and Skankin' Pickle
Skankin' Pickle
Skankin' Pickle was an American ska punk band formed in San Jose, California that was active from 1989 to 1996.-Biography:Skankin' Pickle first formed in December 1988, made up of students from Westmont High School and Los Gatos High School. The band played their first show on April 28, 1989,...
, playing over sixty shows during their first eight months. Though many of these shows were played in regular venues, a great number were also played in churches and at Christian-sponsored events, including the 1996 Cornerstone Festival on the Alarma Records
Alarma Records
Alarma Records is a sublabel of Frontline Records.Alarma! Records and Tapes was originally formed in 1983 by the band Daniel Amos, with musician Tom Howard, for the release of their Doppelgänger album...
stage. They entertained several offers from major Christian record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s including Alarma, Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...
, and Brainstorm Artists International
Brainstorm Artists International
Brainstorm Artists International formerly Broken Records , was an artist-run record label founded in 1987 by Gene Eugene, Ojo Taylor, and Barry Hill. The label was distributed globally by Sony/Epic Music, among others, and closed in 1997 due to distribution issues.Located in Fullerton, California,...
before signing to Frank Tate's 5 Minute Walk Records in August.
Their first album, Upbeats and Beatdowns
Upbeats and Beatdowns
Upbeats and Beatdowns is the first full-length album of the band Five Iron Frenzy. It was released April 8, 1997 on Five Minute Walk, under the SaraBellum imprint, with distribution from Warner Bros. Records...
was recorded in September and initially released in November 1996. Its national release in April, 1997 proved an early success for Five Iron, as the release peaked at 39 on Billboards "Top Contemporary Christian" chart. By the time of the release of their second album, Upbeats had sold 50,000 units. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "A Flowery Song" received a Dove Award nomination in the "short form video" category. That year was largely spent on the road, and the band played 150 shows. Early on, the band was active in promoting social causes. Their song "Where the Zero Meets the Fifteen", which brought attention to the cause of homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, received some radio airplay. That October the band embarked on the "Rock Your Socks Off" tour, for which attendees were asked to bring clean sock
Sock
A sock is an item of clothing worn on the feet. The foot is among the heaviest producers of sweat in the body, as it is able to produce over of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can evaporate the perspiration. In cold environments, socks decrease...
s for donation to local homeless shelter
Homeless shelter
Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people which seek to protect vulnerable populations from the often devastating effects of homelessness while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact on the community...
s.
In November 1997 the band released their second album, Our Newest Album Ever!
Our Newest Album Ever!
Our Newest Album Ever! is the second full-length studio album released by the band Five Iron Frenzy. Its street date was November 11, 1997 on Five Minute Walk, under the SaraBellum imprint, with distribution from Warner Bros. Records...
. Following the success of their first album, the band felt that their success had been based at least partially on the third wave of ska in general. According to Scott Kerr "The unfortunate reality is that good songs and good live performances have far less to do with our so-called success than our being a part of the 'flavor-of-the-month'." Five Iron Frenzy sought to distance themselves from the ska scene while maintaining their artistic integrity. Dennis Culp portrayed their goal, stating that "The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
used a lot of ska, but they really weren't referred to as a ska band... they went far beyond ska." For Five Iron, the method of achieving that goal was the creative process. On the first three releases Roper wrote most of the lyrics and Kerr supplied the musical portion. After Kerr left, the band began to explore a wider variety of musical influences, incorporating diverse influences such as Latin and swing music. Roper continued to write the lyrics, a task that he took seriously. He explained to 7ball in 1997 that "It's not like we try to sit down and write wacky songs. I take songwriting pretty seriously... I've been given this podium. I have a responsibility to tell the truth about things."
Their most significant tour in 1998 was the Ska Against Racism tour, which raised awareness of and money for anti-racism
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
causes. Five Iron was the only openly Christian band on the tour, yet in typical style refrained from using their set as a platform to preach to the crowds. Later that year, they embarked on the national SkaMania tour with The Insyderz
The Insyderz
The Insyderz are a Christian ska-punk band from Detroit, Michigan. They formed in 1996 and disbanded in 2005, but have recently reunited and are working on new music. The Insyderz are one of the "big three" bands which represented the Christian ska scene, alongside the Supertones and Five Iron Frenzy...
and The OC Supertones. Five Iron found this tour was markedly different for the band in terms of interacting with both the audience and their tourmates because both of the other participating bands were Christian bands. In 1998, songwriter and lead guitarist Scott Kerr left the band on friendly terms and started his own project, Yellow Second. Kerr's final appearance and the introduction of replacement Sonnie Johnston (of Jeffries Fan Club
Jeffries Fan Club
Jeffries Fan Club was a southern California Third-wave ska band formed in 1996. The band released several albums on now-defunct Vegas Records before breaking up in 2001. The band played their final show January 6, 2001 at The Glasshouse in Pomona, which was later released on CD under the title...
) occurred at the album release party for the band's first EP, Quantity Is Job 1
Quantity Is Job 1
Quantity Is Job 1 is an EP by the band Five Iron Frenzy. It was released November 3, 1998 on Five Minute Walk. The album was the bands first release distributed by EMI, and most of it was written in a two-week period before being recorded. Unlisted on the package are tracks nine through seventeen,...
, on November 3, 1998 at the Aztlan Theater in Denver.
They reached the peak of their popularity around 2000, with the release of All The Hype That Money Can Buy
All the Hype That Money Can Buy
All the Hype That Money Can Buy, Five Iron Frenzy's third full-length studio album, released April 25, 2000, on Five Minute Walk, under their SaraBellum imprint, with distribution from Warner Bros. Records. It is musically their most diverse album, binding elements of salsa, Calypso music, and...
. With the release of Hype, the band continued to diversify their sound, incorporating calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
, salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
, and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
. Musically Hype turned out to be their most eclectic album. The band toured internationally throughout 2000. Mid summer the band toured in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and in December they played in Europe. By the time of the release of their next album, the band had sold over a cumulative half-million albums worldwide.
Culp's musical direction became prominent, although the composition duties were spread somewhat amongst band members. Production and engineering for every album was led by Masaki "Saki" Liu
Masaki Liu
Masaki Liu, sometimes referred to as "Saki", is the engineer and producer operating One Way Studio, a digital recording studio in Benicia, California. Masaki has recorded and produced music for many bands, including Five Iron Frenzy, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Echoing Green, The W's and...
at his One Way Studio. With the release of Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo
Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo
Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo is the fourth full-length studio album of the band Five Iron Frenzy. It was released November 20, 2001 on Five Minute Walk records....
, FIF's sound leaned more towards horn-tinged hard rock than ska, although all of the original horns were still intact. According to Keith Horeg: "It's a rock record with horns, in the vein of Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
and the Rolling Stones, who have horns all over their records." 2001 marked a turning point for the band as their record contract with Five Minute Walk ran out, leading to rumors that the band would break up. For a time they considered signing with a major label, but they decided to finish their career with 5 Minute Walk.
In late 2001 the band embarked on the "Electric Youth" tour with Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
, John Reuben
John Reuben
John Reuben is an American hip hop artist signed to Gotee Records until late 2010. Reuben has sold over 200,000 copies of his first four albums. He released his sixth album, Sex, Drugs and Self-Control on December 22, 2009...
, and Ace Troubleshooter
Ace Troubleshooter
Ace Troubleshooter was a pop punk band signed to Tooth & Nail Records. According to John Warne, he came up with the band's name after reading the phrase ace troubleshooter in a history book.-Death of Ace:...
. On this tour again the audience was asked to bring socks for donation to local homeless shelters, and to make them into sock puppets for audience participation. On this tour the audience numbered about 1,200 per night, creating what was referred to as the "worlds largest sock puppet choir." Socks were also judged afterward in a "Sock Puppet Pageant" of sorts, with prizes given in various categories. The tour's name is a tribute to Debbie Gibson, who wrote an album by the same name
Electric Youth
Electric Youth is the second album by Debbie Gibson, released January 24, 1989 on Atlantic Records. It is the most successful album of her career, staying at the top of the Billboard Hot Albums chart for five weeks, and reaching Number 8 on the UK album chart.- Album :As with Out of the Blue, all...
.
In early 2003 Five Iron announced their impending breakup via their web site. They dedicated their final year to their fans, playing at many major Christian music festivals and releasing Cheeses...(of Nazareth)
Cheeses...(of Nazareth)
Cheeses... is an album by Five Iron Frenzy released in 2003. It contains a number of rarities and live tracks as a thank you to fans; the band would break up at the end of 2003...
, a collection of joke songs and B-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
, and their final studio album, The End Is Near
The End Is Near (Five Iron Frenzy album)
The End is Near is the fifth and purported final studio album by Five Iron Frenzy, self-released on June 18, 2003. The album was later widely re-released as a part of double album titled The End is Here by Five Minute Walk Records on April 20, 2004...
. After clarifying that instead of "breaking up" they were "quitting," they embarked on a national tour entitled the "Winners Never Quit Tour" with Bleach, Holland, and Cameron Jaymes. They played their final show on November 22, 2003 at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The night before the show Denver received a heavy snow, many fans wondered if the show would be canceled. This show had an attendance of over 3,600 people and was widely released in 2004 as the double disk
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
set The End Is Here, alongside The End Is Near.
Post breakup and reunion
Persistent rumors about a reunion, like those of the untimely demise of Brad, have haunted the band since their breakup. The band has always denied them, and many members have moved on to other projects. Reese Roper was involved in a short lived project called Guerilla Rodeo. Rodeo had a pop-punk sound and consisted of members of Five Iron Frenzy (Reese Roper and Sonnie Johnston), Ace TroubleshooterAce Troubleshooter
Ace Troubleshooter was a pop punk band signed to Tooth & Nail Records. According to John Warne, he came up with the band's name after reading the phrase ace troubleshooter in a history book.-Death of Ace:...
(John Warne
John Warne
John Warne is an American musician who has been active in the Christian rock scene since 1996. He is best known for being the bassist for the Christian rock band Relient K as well as being a founding member of the Christian punk band Ace Troubleshooter...
and Josh Abbot) and the OC Supertones (Ethan Luck
Ethan Luck
Ethan John Luck is a guitarist, photographer, and drummer who has played in many bands, most prominently, the ska band The O.C. Supertones....
). The band recorded a three-song EP before the members moved on to other projects. Roper then signed under his own name - Roper
Roper (band)
Roper was a Christian pop-punk band formed in Denver, Colorado. The band consisted of Reese Roper on lead vocals, Jonathan Byrnside on lead guitar, Jonathan Till on bass, Matt Emmett on rhythm guitar, and Nick White on drums.-Background :Guerilla RodeoGuerilla Rodeo was a short-lived project...
- and released the album Brace Yourself for the Mediocre
Brace Yourself for the Mediocre
Brace Yourself for the Mediocre is the only album of the band Roper, released October 19, 2004. It was put together by lead singer Reese Roper before he had put the rest of the band together. The album has a pop punk sound, although HM comments that it "has much more in common with the raw side...
on 5 Minute Walk Records. Roper also presided over the band Brave Saint Saturn
Brave Saint Saturn
Brave Saint Saturn is a Christian rock band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1999. The band is a side-project of former members of Five Iron Frenzy started by Reese Roper...
- a studio side-project telling the story of stranded astronauts. The project started in 1995 as a Five Iron side project and has released three albums. Their long awaited third album, Anti-Meridian, was released 15 September 2008.
Although there was a rumor that an act billed as "Reese Roper and his 5 Iron Friends" was scheduled to play at Soulfest
Soulfest
SoulFest is an annual Christian music festival held in New England, United States. It currently takes place at the Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, New Hampshire and features six stages and over 125 bands.- Christian music performances :...
2007 in Gilford, New Hampshire
Gilford, New Hampshire
Gilford is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,126 at the 2010 census. Situated on Lake Winnipesaukee, Gilford is home to Governors Island, Ellacoya State Beach, Belknap Mountain State Forest, Gunstock Mountain Ski Resort, and Meadowbrook U.S...
, this rumor was later dispelled by Leanor (the saxophonist) in a blog on her myspace page, but Reese Roper did play an acoustic set at Soulfest 2008 as well as some hosting of the 'Inside Out' stage.
On July 22, 2008, after many years of dormancy, the Five Iron Frenzy website was relaunched with new content. The site is now fan run and hosts photos and content from the band's past as well interviews with formers members and news on their current projects. In August 2008, BraveSaintSaturn, the side project of Five Iron Frenzy members Reese, Keith, Dennis and Andrew which ran along Five Iron Frenzy for many years, also relaunched their official website to support their third album. Of interest to Five Iron Frenzy fans is Reese Roper's appearance on the site's message board and willingness to answer fan question about the happenings of Five Iron Frenzy's members over the past years.
On Sept. 16, 2009 it was announced through Facebook that a FIF DVD titled 'The Rise and Fall of Five Iron Frenzy' would be coming in winter of 2010. A website was launched as well. According to the Asian Man Records website, the DVD was released to pre-orders March 19, 2010 and became available in stores in April 2010. The DVD contains a 3-hour documentary filmed and edited mainly by Reese Roper, composed of interviews with the band members and live performance and tour travel footage.
During the fall of 2011, the band's website went live with a countdown to November 22, which is the eighth anniversary for the band's final show at the Fillmore in Denver. Roper and Ortega Till began posting through several major social media outlets that an "awesome" announcement was coming on November 22, leading to increased speculation that the band would soon see its resurrection. The speculation increased as the band began posting links to an Internet scavenger hunt for clues which led to a full contingent of reactivated, re-purposed and new websites for the band, its members and related projects. On November 22, 2011, the band announced they were writing new material and working on a new record, and gave away a free song titled "It Was A Dark And Stormy Night" with the file name "Hope Still Flies".
Changes in Religious Commitment
In The Rise and Fall of Five Iron Frenzy, it was revealed that the real reason for Scott Kerr choosing to leave the band in 1998 was his renunciation of Christianity. The documentary ends with Andrew Verdecchio implying a similar rejection of belief in God. As of 2011, Verdecchio lists God is Not GreatGod Is Not Great
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything is a book by author and journalist Christopher Hitchens criticising religion. It was published in the United Kingdom as God Is Not Great: The Case Against Religion....
and Letter to a Christian Nation
Letter to a Christian Nation
Letter to a Christian Nation is a non-fiction book by Sam Harris, written in response to feedback he received following the publication of his first book The End of Faith. The book is written in the form of an open letter to a Christian in the United States...
as favorite books on his personal Facebook page. Other members of the band remain involved in Christian churches to various degrees.
During an Interview on Broken FM, Leanor Ortega Till described a two-year period of her own severe doubts which caused her to try to avoid fans. She now serves as a missionary pastor at the Scum of the Earth Church in Denver, supported by donations.
Related projects
- Yellow SecondYellow SecondYellow Second was a melodic power pop band from Denver, Colorado formed in 1999 by Scott Kerr and Andrew Verdecchio, both former members of the Christian ska band Five Iron Frenzy....
- included Kerr and Verdecchio; their third album, Altitude, was released on Floodgate RecordsFloodgate RecordsFloodgate Records was a part of the East West Records family of labels. It was founded in 2000 and managed by Tim Taber . Initial distribution was through Word Records, and marketing through Rocketown. Their first release was All I Have, a worship album by Rita Springer...
in 2004; broke up in late 2005.
- RoperRoper (band)Roper was a Christian pop-punk band formed in Denver, Colorado. The band consisted of Reese Roper on lead vocals, Jonathan Byrnside on lead guitar, Jonathan Till on bass, Matt Emmett on rhythm guitar, and Nick White on drums.-Background :Guerilla RodeoGuerilla Rodeo was a short-lived project...
- Reese Roper also played in a band called Roper that put out one full-length album entitled Brace Yourself For the Mediocre. This album came out in Oct 2004 .
- Brave Saint SaturnBrave Saint SaturnBrave Saint Saturn is a Christian rock band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1999. The band is a side-project of former members of Five Iron Frenzy started by Reese Roper...
- Brave Saint Saturn (stylized as braveSaintSaturn, brave saint saturn or BS2) is a Christian rock band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995. The band is a side-project of former members of Five Iron Frenzy started by Reese Roper. The band calls their music style "astro-rock," although Roper has stated that this "doesn't mean anything." The trilogy of albums are meant to artfully represent early life, adversity, and death.
- Dennis Bayne - trombone player Culp released one album, AscentsAscentsAscents is the first solo project by Dennis Bayne Culp, formerly of Five Iron Frenzy and Brave Saint Saturn. The album is a collection of psalms that Dennis put to music over a period of time in the 1990s...
, under only his first and middle names. The album contains an acoustic guitar and vocal interpretation of certain PsalmsPsalmsThe Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
(120-131) from the Bible.
- Dance Mexican Dance / His Love Fellowship - saxophonist Leanor Jeff the Girl Ortega-Till was briefly involved in an electronicaElectronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
project alongside husband Stephen Till, who was the rhythm guitarist for RoperRoper (band)Roper was a Christian pop-punk band formed in Denver, Colorado. The band consisted of Reese Roper on lead vocals, Jonathan Byrnside on lead guitar, Jonathan Till on bass, Matt Emmett on rhythm guitar, and Nick White on drums.-Background :Guerilla RodeoGuerilla Rodeo was a short-lived project...
. Dance Mexican Dance was renamed His Love Fellowship before becoming dormant.
- Hearts of Palm - Leanor Ortega Till currently plays saxophone for Denver-based nine-piece pop ensemble Hearts of Palm, formerly known as Nathan and Stephen. Their sound can be described as eclectic and anthematic indie-pop.
- The Hollyfelds - Bassist Keith is currently playing with his wife Eryn in the country / folk band The Hollyfelds (www.TheHollyfelds.com).
- Soul Daddy - Guitarist Micah is currently recording and writing with Soul Daddy (formerly Alan the Fisherman) for a project by Soul Daddy & Blackfyre (formerly known as Aquilibrium).
Origin of the band's name
An excerpt from an interview between Jesus Freak HideoutJesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout is a Christian music website. The website specializes in reviewing, previewing, and selling Christian albums. The website is known for its album reviews, independent music, artist interviews, concert dates and ministry through devotionals and prayer...
and Keith Hoerig appear below:
Jesus freak Hideout: What's the story behind the name "Five Iron Frenzy"?
Keith Hoerig: We got the name Five Iron Frenzy from a roommate of most of ours. He was kind of paranoid, and afraid that if he went outside on this particular night he was going to get jumped by some people. He had a golf club to defend himself and he said something to the effect of it being like "putter mayhem". Scott looked at the golf club he was holding, and noting that it was a five iron said, "No, more like a Five Iron Frenzy." The name stuck.
Studio albums
| Date | Album | US Hot 200 | US Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
Top Contemporary Christian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1996 | Upbeats and Beatdowns Upbeats and Beatdowns Upbeats and Beatdowns is the first full-length album of the band Five Iron Frenzy. It was released April 8, 1997 on Five Minute Walk, under the SaraBellum imprint, with distribution from Warner Bros. Records... |
- | - | 39 |
| Nov 1997 | Our Newest Album Ever! Our Newest Album Ever! Our Newest Album Ever! is the second full-length studio album released by the band Five Iron Frenzy. Its street date was November 11, 1997 on Five Minute Walk, under the SaraBellum imprint, with distribution from Warner Bros. Records... |
176 | 8 | 9 |
| Apr 2000 | All the Hype That Money Can Buy All the Hype That Money Can Buy All the Hype That Money Can Buy, Five Iron Frenzy's third full-length studio album, released April 25, 2000, on Five Minute Walk, under their SaraBellum imprint, with distribution from Warner Bros. Records. It is musically their most diverse album, binding elements of salsa, Calypso music, and... |
146 | 5 | 8 |
| Nov 2001 | Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo is the fourth full-length studio album of the band Five Iron Frenzy. It was released November 20, 2001 on Five Minute Walk records.... |
- | 14 | 19 |
| Jun 2003 | The End Is Near The End Is Near (Five Iron Frenzy album) The End is Near is the fifth and purported final studio album by Five Iron Frenzy, self-released on June 18, 2003. The album was later widely re-released as a part of double album titled The End is Here by Five Minute Walk Records on April 20, 2004... |
- | - | - |
Live albums
| Date | Album | US Hot 200 | US Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
Top Contemporary Christian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1999 | Five Iron Frenzy LIVE: Proof That the Youth Are Revolting Proof That the Youth Are Revolting Proof That The Youth Are Revolting is Five Iron Frenzy's first live album, released November, 1999 by Sarabellum Records and Five Minute Walk, with distribution by Warner Bros. Records. It was recorded at eleven shows throughout 1998 and 1999, including Cornerstone 1999. The cover art was made by... |
190 | 6 | 9 |
| Apr 2004 | The End Is Here | - | 13 | 10 |
Compilations
| Date | Album | US Hot 200 | US Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
Top Contemporary Christian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2003 | Cheeses...(of Nazareth) Cheeses...(of Nazareth) Cheeses... is an album by Five Iron Frenzy released in 2003. It contains a number of rarities and live tracks as a thank you to fans; the band would break up at the end of 2003... (Rarities collection) |
- | 17 | 22 |
EPs
| Date | Album | US Hot 200 | US Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
Top Contemporary Christian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1998 | Quantity Is Job 1 Quantity Is Job 1 Quantity Is Job 1 is an EP by the band Five Iron Frenzy. It was released November 3, 1998 on Five Minute Walk. The album was the bands first release distributed by EMI, and most of it was written in a two-week period before being recorded. Unlisted on the package are tracks nine through seventeen,... |
- | 14 | 12 |
Singles
- It's Funny, but Not Very Creative - (July 1996) - 7″ vinyl
- Miniature Golf Courses of America presents Five Iron Frenzy - (1998) - 7″ vinyl
- Brad Is Dead - (1998) - 7″ vinyl
- "The Phantom Mullet" - (2000) - Five Iron Frenzy/Philmore split 7″ vinyl
- "Far, Far Away" / "Kamikaze" - (2001) CD single
- "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night" - (2011) Digital Download
List of tours
- N/A w/Johnny Respect - March 1997
- N/A w/Dime Store ProphetsDime Store ProphetsDime Store Prophets was a Christian modern rock band which was active during the mid- to late-1990's.-Musical career:Singer/Songwriter Justin Stevens and Engineer/Producer/Songwriter Masaki Liu originally formed the band Radiation Ranch, a "roots" rock band with strong rockabilly influences...
, The ElectricsThe ElectricsThe Electrics are a Celtic rock band from Dumbarton, Scotland. They formed in 1988 when former Infrapenny members Sammy Horner and Paul Baird asked drummer Dave McArthur and sax/keyboard player Allan Hewitt to play a gig at Glasgow's Impact Festival. The band released a self-financed cassette...
, DryveDryveDryve was an alternative/roots/pop/rock band from San Diego, California. The band's unusual instrumentation - including a Hammond organ, accordions, and a harmonica - gave them a unique sound...
, Model EngineModel EngineModel Engine was an alternative rock band based in Santa Barbara, California. Prior to 1997 the trio, consisting of Jeremy Post, Brad McCarter and Brent Nims were known as Black Eyed Sceva. Confusion over the meaning of the name and its constant mispronunciation led the band to change its moniker...
and Rose Blossom PunchRose Blossom PunchRose Blossom Punch is a post-grunge/alternative rock band featuring Aaron Sprinkle from Seattle, Washington. They ran from 1995, to 1999.-Biography:...
- Summer 1997 - "Rock Your Socks Off" w/The Altered and The Echoing GreenThe Echoing Green (band)The Echoing Green is an electronica/synthpop band. It began as a duo between Joey Belville and Aaron Bowman in 1992, and has since released eleven major albums....
- Fall 1997 - "El Doc Tour" w/The Echoing Green, The Electrics, and The W'sThe W'sThe W's were a Christian ska/swing band, formed in Corvallis, Oregon in 1996. Success came quickly to the band and their first album, Fourth from the Last, was a sleeper hit unexpectedly having had the strongest debut of any Christian album to date for its distributor. They toured the United...
- March 1998 - "Ska Against Racism" w/The ToastersThe ToastersThe Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
, Less Than JakeLess Than JakeLess Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
, Blue MeaniesBlue Meanies (band)Blue Meanies were an American ska-core band founded in Carbondale, Illinois, at Southern Illinois University, in 1989. They debuted in 1991 with the release of their first single, "Grandma Shampoo" c/w "Dickory Dock". This single would be the start of a lengthy discography and revolving lineup...
, Mustard PlugMustard PlugMustard Plug is a ska punk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan.Formed in 1991, the band's original members were Dave Kirchgessner, Mike McKendrick, Colin Clive, and Anthony Vilchez. Currently the band consists of Dave , Brandon Jenison , Jim Hofer , Nate Cohn , Colin Clive , and Rick Johnson...
, MU330MU330MU330 are a ska punk band from St. Louis, Missouri.Formed by students of St. Louis University High School in 1988, MU330 played a self-described brand of music called "Psycho Ska", high energy ska punk marked by manic performances and humorous, often strange lyricism...
, KemuriKemuriKemuri was a Japanese ska-punk band formed in 1995. They have an upbeat sound with positive lyrics which they refer to as PMA . While the majority of the songs are in English, they do also sing in Japanese....
, and Mike ParkMike ParkMike Park is a Korean American musician and progressive activist. His musical ventures include Skankin' Pickle for whom he both played the saxophone and sang, The Chinkees, The Bruce Lee Band, and most recently an acoustic solo project under his own name...
- Spring 1998 - N/A w/The W's - Sept. 1998
- N/A w/The W's and Mad CaddiesMad CaddiesThe Mad Caddies are a third wave ska band from Solvang, California. The band formed in 1995 and has released five full-length albums, one live album, and two EPs...
- Oct. 1998 - "SkaMania" w/The InsyderzThe InsyderzThe Insyderz are a Christian ska-punk band from Detroit, Michigan. They formed in 1996 and disbanded in 2005, but have recently reunited and are working on new music. The Insyderz are one of the "big three" bands which represented the Christian ska scene, alongside the Supertones and Five Iron Frenzy...
and The O.C. SupertonesThe O.C. SupertonesThe Orange County Supertones is a Christian ska band hailing from Orange County, California. The band was signed to Tooth & Nail Records before becoming an independent band for its final tour...
- Fall 1998 - "Pants Across America" w/SwitchfootSwitchfootSwitchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
and The Smiley Kids - Spring 1999 - "Holy Roller Tour" w/The W's, The Insyderz and Justin McRobertsJustin McRobertsJustin McRoberts is an independent singer-songwriter from the San Francisco Bay area. McRoberts released two albums with 5 Minute Walk before the label disbanded in 2001. Since then he has independently released four studio albums, a live album, and five EP's...
- Fall 1999 - N/A w/The W’s, PhilmorePhilmorePhilmore was a Christian rock band that formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the late 1990s. At one point they were known for their t-shirts that said “Philmore is an OK band.” The lead singer, Justin Greiman, was also the lead guitarist; his guitar had the Union Jack on it . His brother Kayle played bass...
and Soul-JunkSoul-JunkSoul-Junk is an experimental genre-hopping Christian rock / hip hop group from San Diego, California.-Background:The roots of Soul-Junk began in 1993 when Glen Galloway began experimenting while touring in Europe with his rock band Trumans Water...
- Spring 2000 - "Ham Jam" w/The W’s, Relient KRelient KRelient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
, Philmore and Soul-Junk - Summer 2000 - "Electric Youth" w/Relient K, John ReubenJohn ReubenJohn Reuben is an American hip hop artist signed to Gotee Records until late 2010. Reuben has sold over 200,000 copies of his first four albums. He released his sixth album, Sex, Drugs and Self-Control on December 22, 2009...
and Ace TroubleshooterAce TroubleshooterAce Troubleshooter was a pop punk band signed to Tooth & Nail Records. According to John Warne, he came up with the band's name after reading the phrase ace troubleshooter in a history book.-Death of Ace:...
- Fall 2001 - on Warped Tour - Summer 2002
- "Winners Never Quit Tour" w/ Bleach, Holland, and Cameron Jaymes - 2003
Lineup
- Reese RoperReese RoperMichael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released...
– lead vocals - Micah OrtegaMicah OrtegaMicah Ortega is best known as a guitarist for Five Iron Frenzy. He was born on May 31, 1976 in Greeley, Colorado and is a graduate of Heritage High School in Littleton, Colorado...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Keith HoerigKeith HoerigKeith Hoerig is best known as the bass guitarist for Five Iron Frenzy and Brave Saint Saturn. He later assisted former band-mate Reese Roper with booking his new band, Roper....
(1995-2003) – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Andrew VerdecchioAndrew VerdecchioAndrew Dean Verdecchio or Andy Verdecchio is best known as the drummer of Christian band Five Iron Frenzy. Chaka was the stage name he had at that time. He also has played with Brave Saint Saturn and Yellow Second...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Nathanael "Brad" Dunham – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Dennis CulpDennis CulpDennis Culp is an American trombonist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with the bands Brave Saint Saturn and the now defunct Five Iron Frenzy. He currently resides in New Jersey with his wife Melinda, and has released one solo album, Ascents, under the name Dennis Bayne...
– tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Leanor OrtegaLeanor OrtegaLeanor Ortega Till is best known as the saxophonist for Five Iron Frenzy. Once more commonly known as Jeff the Girl, she was the sole female during the band's tenure...
"Jeff the Girl" – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Sonnie Johnston (1998–present) – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Scott Kerr (1995–1998, 2011-present) - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Further reading
Relient KRelient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
refers to Five Iron Frenzy in their song "Five Iron Frenzy Is Either Dead or Dying" in their album The Bird and the Bee Sides
The Bird and the Bee Sides
-The Bird and the Bee Sides:-Bonus material:Those who pre-ordered The Bird and the Bee Sides received two "instant song downloads" , a Relient K and Gotee Records sticker pack, and a collector's-edition postcard....
.