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Five Iron Frenzy (also known as Five Iron or FIF) was a Christian ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003.
The band's music was most heavily influenced by ska and punk rock, but their influences also include heavy metal. 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.[ publisher = boston-legal.org ]
They were known for their positive lyrics and energetic live shows.[last=Mehle ] They often performed their concerts while wearing full costumes (mostly vocalist Reese Roper). On 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.
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 religious faith.
HistoryFive Iron Frenzy started as a side-project of Reese Roper, Keith Hoerig, Micah Ortega, and Scott Kerr's Industrial band Exhumator.[Todd, Darleen. (12-30-1997). True Tunes News. Now hosted at the Internet Archive. ]
Their first album, Upbeats and Beatdowns was recorded in September[first=Deborah Evans ] That year was largely spent on the road, and the band played 150 shows.[ " class="PageLink" target="_blank">chapter=Five Iron Frenzy] That October the band embarked on the "Rock Your Socks Off" tour, for which attendees were asked to bring clean socks for donation to local homeless shelters.[first=Jim ] In November of 1997 the band released their second album, Our Newest Album Ever!.
Their most significant tour in 1998 was the Ska Against Racism tour, which raised awareness of and money for anti-racism causes.[title=Ska Against Racism ] 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.[first=Ken ] In 1998, songwriter and lead guitarist Scott Kerr left the band on friendly terms and started his own project, Yellow Second.[Musique, Sucre'. (1999). Interview with Reese Roper, from bandoppler.com. Now hosted at the Internet Archive. [2]] Kerr had written or co-written most songs on the first three full-length releases. After he left, the band began to explore a wider variety of musical influences, incorporating diverse influences such as Latin and swing music. 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.[ publisher = Christianity Today ] With the release of Hype, the band continued to diversify their sound, incorporating calypso, salsa, and reggae.[ " class="PageLink" target="_blank">issue=83]
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. After 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.[title=Five Iron Frenzy Interview ]
In early 2003 Five Iron announced their impending breakup via their web site.[title=An open letter to all supporters of Five Iron Frenzy from the band ] 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.[title=Five Iron Frenzy Our Last Article Ever ] This show had an attendance of over 3,600 people[first=Andy ] and was released in 2004 as the double disk set The End Is Here, alongside The End Is Near.
Recent DevelopmentsAlthough 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, NH, this rumor was later dispelled by Leanor (the saxist) in a blog on her myspace page., but Reese Roper did however 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 official website was relaunched with new content. The site is said to be "fan run" and will host photos and content from the band's past as well and keep abreast of formers members current projects. In addition to this in August 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 Ropers appearance the site's message board and willingness to answer fan question about the happenings of Five Iron Frenzy's members over the past years.
Origin of the band's name An excerpt from an interview between Jesus Freak Hideout 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.[ publisher = Jesus Freak Hideout ]
DiscographyAlbums- ''It's Funny, but Not Very Creative - (July 1996) - 7" vinyl
- Upbeats and Beatdowns - (November 1996)
- Our Newest Album Ever! - (November 11, 1997)
- Miniature Golf Courses of America presents Five Iron Frenzy - (1998) - 7" vinyl
- Brad Is Dead - (1998) - 7" vinyl
- Quantity Is Job 1 - (November 3, 1998) - Extended Play
- Five Iron Frenzy LIVE: Proof That the Youth Are Revolting - (November 1999) - live album
- The Phantom Mullet - (2000) - Five Iron Frenzy/Philmore split 7" vinyl, Philmore(Our Finest Hour)
- All the Hype That Money Can Buy - (April 25, 2000)
- Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo - (November 20, 2001)
- Cheeses...(of Nazareth) - (April 22, 2003) - B-sides and Joke songs
- The End Is Near - (June 18, 2003)
- The End Is Here - (April 20, 2004) - Studio (with bonus track)/Live album (final show) Double Disc
Charts Billboard (North America) [ publisher = allmusic.com ]
List of tours- N/A w/Johnny Respect - March 1997
- N/A w/Dime Store Prophets, The Electrics, Dryve, Model Engine and Rose Blossom Punch - Summer 1997
- "Rock Your Socks Off" w/The Altered and The Echoing Green - Fall 1997
- N/A w/The Echoing Green and The W's - March 1998
- "Ska Against Racism" w/The Toasters, Less Than Jake, the Blue Meanies, Mustard Plug, MU330, Kemuri, and Mike Park - Spring 1998
- N/A w/The W's - Sept. 1998
- N/A w/The W's and The Mad Caddies - Oct. 1998
- "SkaMania" w/The Insyderz and The O.C. Supertones - Fall 1998
- N/A w/Switchfoot and The Smiley Kids - Spring 1999
- "Holy Roller Tour" w/The W's, The Insyderz and Justin McRoberts - Fall 1999
- N/A w/The W’s,Philmore and Soul-Junk - Spring 2000
- N/A w/The W’s, Relient K, Philmore and Soul-junk - Summer 2000
- "Electric Youth" w/Relient K, John Reuben and Ace Troubleshooter - Fall 2001
- on Warped Tour - Summer 2002
- "Winners Never Quit Tour" w/Bleach, Holland, and Cameron Jaymes - 2003
Lineup- Reese Roper – lead vocals
- Micah Ortega – lead guitar, Vocals
- Sonnie Johnston – guitar
- Keith Hoerig – bass
- Andrew Verdecchio – drums, Vocals
- Nathanael "Brad" Dunham – trumpet
- Dennis Culp – trombone, Vocals
- Leanor Ortega "Jeff the Girl" – saxophone, Vocals
Former member- Scott Kerr – guitar, Vocals
Related projects- Exhumator - a garage-metal band made up of Reese Roper, Keith Hoerig, Micah Ortega, and Scott Kerr. Five Iron Frenzy originally started as a side project of Exhumator. They released the song "Spam Jam" on the compilation Green Manna (Fifty280 Records).
- Brave Saint Saturn - a studio side-project which has released two parts of a planned trilogy of albums telling the story of stranded astronauts. The third album, Anti-Meridian, is slated for release September 15, 2008.
- Guerilla Rodeo - a short-lived pop punk band consisting of members of Five Iron Frenzy (Reese Roper and Sonnie Johnston), Ace Troubleshooter (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 - released the album Brace Yourself for the Mediocre on 5 Minute Walk Records. Have since disbanded.
- Yellow Second - included Kerr and Verdecchio; their third album, Altitude, was released on Floodgate Records in 2004;
[publisher=Freak Music ] broke up in late 2005.
- Dennis Bayne - trombone player Culp released one album, Ascents, under only his first and middle names. The album contains an acoustic guitar and vocal interpretation of certain Psalms (120-131) from the Bible.
- Dance Mexican Dance / His Love Fellowship - saxophonist Leanor Jeff the Girl Ortega-Till was briefly involved in an electronica project alongside husband Stephen Till, who was the rhythm guitarist for Roper. 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 playing with “Alan the Fisherman” (R. Alan Brooks II) in Soul Daddy (formerly known as Aquilibrium).
Copyright Citations
This article is licensed under the GNU License
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