. Exhumator. Hearts of Palm. The Hollyfelds.Members. Micah Ortega. Andrew Verdecchio. Leanor Ortega Till.

• Five Iron Frenzy Cover
• Five Iron Frenzy Solidarity
• Superpowers Five Iron Frenzy

Nathanael 'Brad' Dunham. Sonnie Johnston. Scott KerrPast members.Five Iron Frenzy is an American band formed in in 1995.

Best known for playing music characterized by an offbeat sense of humor and prominent themes, Five Iron was one of the pioneering figures of the movement which emerged with ska's mainstream revival in the 1990s. Since 2000, the band's music has shifted away from ska to embrace stronger and influences, though continues to feature Christian overtones despite several members' changes in religious beliefs.Five Iron experienced their greatest commercial success during the late 1990s as part of the American ska revival, touring prolifically within both Christian and secular markets, where the band gained a for their energetic live shows typified by humorous stage antics which often drew attention to various social causes. By the early 2000s, Five Iron had independently sold a total of almost one million albums, though a number of factors eventually contributed to their break-up in 2003. After an eight-year hiatus, the band reunited in 2011 to resume intermittent touring, launching a coincident campaign to finance a new album which raised a then record-breaking $207,980. The resultant album, was released in November 2013.Five Iron is often noted for the broad tonal range of their lyricism, covering subject matter both spiritual and secular in manners both serious and satirical. Many of the band's songs are firmly rooted in convictions, often exploring themes of Christian and, and the done to, and faith-based criticisms of, and even the, as well as more traditional and uplifting songs of.

The band is also known for their comic songs which rely on droll self-deprecating and, and frequent references to. Contents.History Formation and early years (1993–1996) The origins of Five Iron Frenzy began with the band Exhumator, a Denver-based Christian project which featured future Five Iron vocalist, guitarists Micah Ortega and Scott Kerr, bassist and drummer Andrew Verdecchio.

As and had begun making a popular resurgence in alternative music in the early 1990s, the members of Exhumator soon began shifting their attention away from metal, and, largely influenced by bands such as and, formed Five Iron Frenzy as a ska/ side project in early 1995. The name 'Five Iron Frenzy' was a band, conceived during an occasion when the members' 'paranoid' roommate brandished a golf club in self-defense out of an unfounded fear of being mugged.Five Iron Frenzy's first show, hosted at a church coffeehouse in April 1995, was as an opening act for Exhumator. According to Reese Roper's recollection of the event, the audience responded to Five Iron's music better than they had ever responded to Exhumator's, and realizing that everyone had more fun playing ska punk than metal, made the decision to dissolve Exhumator in favor of Five Iron that very night.

Over their next few shows, the band gradually recruited a consisting of trumpeter Nathaniel 'Brad' Dunham, trombonist Dennis Culp and Micah Ortega's cousin, saxophonist Leanor Ortega.Almost instantly, Five Iron became a prominent presence in the Denver music scene. The band opened for artists for their third show and played over sixty shows during their first eight months, soon becoming a staple of every major ska show in the Denver area, opening for such nationally successful touring bands as. Although Five Iron's initial intent was to stay local and help develop their own scene, in June 1995, the band traveled to the in to play an impromptu set before several prominent Christian alternative bands and record labels, including, and Alex Parker of Records.

The band has since partially attributed their early success to this stunt, as they would return to Cornerstone the following year sponsored by a record label.As their local popularity grew, Five Iron solidified a 'mission statement' that they would play half regular venues and half Christian venues to reach both secular and Christian audiences. By the summer of 1996, the band had released their first recorded material - a entitled It 's Funny, But Not Very Creative, which featured two original songs and a tongue-in-cheek punk rock cover of 's 1985 hit ' - and were entertaining offers from several major Christian record labels including Tooth & Nail, and Brainstorm Artists International before ultimately signing with. In September, Five Iron recorded their first studio album, which was released later that November. National success (1997–1999) Following its low-key independent release in November 1996, Upbeats and Beatdowns was given a national re-release in April 1997 on 5 Minute Walk's newly-founded sub-label SaraBellum Records, whose titles were distributed by the. Upbeats and Beatdowns proved an early success for Five Iron, peaking at number 39 on 'Top Contemporary Christian' chart and selling over 50,000 units by the end of the year, while the music video for the song 'A Flowery Song' received a nomination in the 'Short Form Video' category.

Five Iron spent most of 1997 touring nationally, playing 150 shows across the country. Many of these tours were held in promotion of various social causes and charities; notably, the band headlined what was called the 'Rock Your Socks Off Tour' in October, for which attendees were asked to bring clean socks to each show for donation to local.In November 1997 the band released their second album,. 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 ' 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. 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 tour, which raised awareness of and money for 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. 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. Peak of popularity (2000–2003) They reached the peak of their popularity around 2000, with the release of. With the release of Hype, the band continued to diversify their sound, incorporating,. Musically Hype turned out to be their most eclectic album. The band toured internationally throughout 2000. Mid summer the band toured in, 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 at his One Way Studio. With the release of, FIF's sound leaned more towards horn-tinged hard rock than ska, although all of the original horns were still intact. According to Keith Hoerig: 'It's a rock record with horns, in the vein of and the, 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,.

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 'world's 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, who wrote an. 'We decided to do this tour rather than just quit suddenly, because we wanted to say thank you to our fans and say goodbye as well.'

Keith Hoerig on the band's final year.In early 2003 Five Iron announced their impending breakup via their website. They dedicated their final year to their fans, playing at many major Christian music festivals and releasing, a collection of joke songs and, and their final studio album,. After clarifying that instead of 'breaking up' they were 'quitting,' they embarked on a national tour entitled the 'Winners Never Quit Tour' with, Holland, and Cameron Jaymes. They played their final show on November 22, 2003 at the in,. 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, alongside The End Is Near.Post-breakup (2004–present) “If we do get back together, I think you should make us all eat a handful of mayonnaise.”— Reese Roper on the possibility of a Five Iron Frenzy reunion.Persistent rumors about a reunion, were always denied by the band as the former members moved on to other projects.

Reese Roper was involved in a short lived project called, (that also included fellow FIF member Sonnie Johnston), 's and Josh Abbot, and the '. The band recorded a three-song EP before the members moved on to other projects. Roper then signed under his own name as and released the album on 5 Minute Walk Records. Roper also presided over the band, a studio side-project featuring several other FIF members telling the story of stranded. The project started in 1995 as a Five Iron side project and has released three albums. Their long-awaited third album, was released September 15, 2008. Reese Roper played an acoustic set at 2008.

In 2005, Five Iron Frenzy received national exposure when their song, 'Oh, Canada' (which referenced ), appeared on the.On September 16, 2009 it was announced through Facebook that the DVD titled 'The Rise and Fall of Five Iron Frenzy' would be released 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 contained 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 was the eighth anniversary for the band's final show at the Fillmore in Denver. Since the production and release of their documentary many members of Five Iron Frenzy had already been discussing a reunion. Roper and Ortega Till began hinting at an announcement. 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'. In order to fund the new record the band started a Kickstarter hoping to raise $30,000 in 30 days. That goal was reached within the first hour of launching and the band ultimately raised over $200,000.Keith Hoerig was the only member of the band to decline taking part in the reunion and his position as bass player was filled by Scott Kerr, returning to the band for the first time since he left in 1998.

The next two years were spent working on the new album and playing select live dates. The band played their first reunion show on April 28, 2012 in Denver, Colorado.

Engine of a Million Plots was released on November 26, 2013. Religious affiliations and changes in faith As a predominantly Christian band, most members of Five Iron Frenzy are involved in Christian ministry to varying degrees: notably, singer Reese Roper is a licensed for the and the co-founder of Denver's, of which saxophonist Leanor Ortega-Till formerly served as the Women and Arts pastor. In a 2016 interview, Ortega-Till listed the rest of the current lineup's denominational make up as including, and.In 1998, Scott Kerr chose to leave Five Iron Frenzy after renouncing his Christian faith. According to Kerr, he had begun experiencing doubts in high school which eventually came to a head during his time touring with Five Iron. In an attempt to reconcile his faith, Kerr fervently studied - which he ultimately found 'not persuasive and, at worst, intellectually disingenuous' - as well as works by and before deciding to leave Christianity. Though Kerr recalls the band accepting his revelation and decision to leave, Roper remorsefully recalled souring the relationship between them by him 'pushing Jesus on Kerr when he needed me to just be his friend', which later served as the lyrical basis for Five Iron's song 'To Start a Fire'. Kerr continues to identify as 'not a Christian', and upon re-joining Five Iron in 2011, wrote an explanation for his reunion with the band which partly read:“If you asked each of us what Five Iron’s mission is you might get 8 different answers, but from my perspective this band has no agenda other than to be authentic.

It’s about honesty. I am interested in a pure, artistic expression, regardless of whether or not I’m of the same opinion as the artist. Reese is a gifted lyricist, and I enjoy his words even though we have very different notions about the world.

He talks about struggles with faith in a way that I can relate to, and though we came out of our respective struggles with different ideas I am still moved by the music we all make together.”Andrew Verdecchio experienced a similar loss of faith during the early 2000s, following the death of his father and the events of the. Verdecchio largely recalls the comments of conservative commentators and blaming the cause of the attacks on homosexuals for driving a wedge between himself and Christianity, leading him to seriously question his beliefs and role within a Christian band. Like Kerr, Verdecchio attempted to study apologetics 'because I didn't want to not believe it', though said 'the more I read these books and tried to convince myself, the less convinced I was'. Upon renouncing his faith, Verdecchio requested to carry out one more tour with the band before quitting, upon which they decided to disband afterwards as Five Iron did not wish to replace him.

Verdecchio still identifies as an, though continues to fulfill his role as Five Iron's only official drummer.Leanor Ortega-Till has also spoken about having struggled with severe doubts for a two-year period which caused her to try to avoid fans, though was ultimately able to 'bounce back through her faith' and remains a practicing Christian. Discography. Huckabee, Tyler (January 2013). Archived from on December 22, 2012.

Retrieved August 9, 2016. Mehle, Michael (May 10, 1996).

'CHRISTIAN SKA BAND LETS MUSIC BE MESSAGE'. P. 18 D. Bartenhagen, Marcia (August 2001). 'Falling Forward'.

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'Brave Saint Saturn'. (136): 19. Devitt, Shelby (March 19, 2012). ^ DeBoer, Terry (October 1, 2003). 'After tour, Five Iron's back in bag for good'.: pB7.

Metteer, Chris (March 8, 2002). 'Third Day needs to turn it up.(Reviews)'.

Pp. T15. Todd, Darleen. Now hosted at the Internet Archive. ^ Sant, John (May–June 2000). Archived from on September 18, 2000.

Retrieved April 24, 2007. ^ Murphy, Tom. Retrieved April 30, 2013. Jesus Freak Hideout. April 15, 2000. Retrieved December 21, 2006.

A more detailed explanation is available at the Five Iron FAQ from FiveIronFrenzy.com (dated Feb. 1999) under 'How did you meet?' Now hosted at the. ^. Five Iron Frenzy. Archived from on June 30, 1997. Retrieved February 14, 2007.

^. January 1, 2005. Archived from on December 13, 2006. Retrieved December 21, 2006. ^ Mehle, Michael (November 10, 1997). WATCH OUT FOR FAST-RISING FIVE IRON FRENZY'. P. 6 D.

Hendricks, Kevin D. Real Magazine. Archived from on June 26, 2006. Retrieved February 14, 2007. ^ (2003).

'Five Iron Frenzy Rocking the Back Nine'. 2003 Program Guide. 32 (124): 33–34.

Shari Lloyd (March 22, 1996).:. Retrieved February 15, 2007. ^ Alfonso, Barry (1999). 'Five Iron Frenzy'.

In Brennan Luann (ed.). Volume 26.,:. Pp. (February 1, 2007). Archived from on September 30, 2007.

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Viber for Windows may be a fresh VoIP communication consumer that permits everybody to be connected with their friends, family and associates from all round the world. 4.7 dodge engine.

(Web). Retrieved December 21, 2006. Price, Deborah Evans (March 14, 1998).

'ForeFront signs deal with indie'. 110 (11): 134. ^ Bessman, Jim (October 18, 1997). '5 Minute's Five Iron Frenzy takes a mainstream swing'. 109 (42): 14–15.

^ Macintosh, Dan (November–December 1997). 'Five Iron Frenzy'. (15): 32–38. ^ Steininger, Alex (April 1998). In Music We Trust. Retrieved February 17, 2007.

^ Steinken, Ken (May 24, 1999). 'Where No Ministry Has Gone Before'. 43 (6): 74–75. Musique, Sucre'. Interview with Reese Roper, from bandoppler.com. Now hosted at the Internet Archive.

^ Strole, L. Jeanette (November–December 2001). 'A Tail of Boogaloo and Varmint'. (92): 42–43, 76–77. 'News / Modern Rock'. January–February 2001. ^ Hendricks, Kevin D.

Five Iron Frenzy Cover

Real Magazine. Archived from on February 8, 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2007. ^ DeBoer, Terry (October 11, 2001).

'Zany group mixes ska, sock puppets; Ska, sock puppets highlight a Five Iron Frenzy show'.: 21. ^ Tim A. Smith, Christina Farris (January 2002).

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Five Iron Frenzy Solidarity

Bartenhagen, Marcia (January 2002). 'Five Iron Frenzy, Relient K, John Reuben, Ace Troubleshooter, 328 Performance Hall, Nashville, TN'. 24 (7): 49. Five Iron Frenzy (2003). Archived from on February 17, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2007. Argyrakis, Andy (November 2003).

Retrieved February 14, 2007. August 23, 2008, at the. Retrieved December 21, 2006.

Retrieved December 5, 2011. ^ The Rise and Fall of Five Iron Frenzy (2010), DVD. ^ Stephen Cohen (November 22, 2003). RELEVANT Magazine. Archived from on December 3, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011. ^ Mike Herrera (August 16, 2013).

Retrieved May 2, 2014. Five Iron Frenzy (November 22, 2011). Retrieved December 5, 2011. New Five Iron Frenzy Album!!!! Retrieved December 13, 2011.

Five Iron Frenzy. God's Prosperity Radio. July 1, 2016. Roper, Reese (September 4, 2014). Fiveironfrenzy.com. Ten, Top (December 9, 2011).

Five Iron Frenzy. Retrieved December 21, 2016. Broken FM. Archived from on April 13, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2011. Brown, Bruce A.

Superpowers Five Iron Frenzy

'Rock n Roll World'. 20 (11): 22. Fernandez, Mike (July 2000).

'On The Beat: Rock'. 23 (1): 15–16. Brave Saint Saturn.

Retrieved December 5, 2011. Baca, Ricardo (July 27, 2008).

'2008 UNDERGROUND MUSIC SHOWCASE: Hearts of Palm rises to the top of our eighth annual local music survey'. Pp. E–01. 'The top 10 in their own words The big finishers in the Denver Post Underground Music Poll tell us about themselves'. July 27, 2008. Pp. E–03. Wenzel, John (June 8, 2007). 'Couples make sweet music together'.

Retrieved January 10, 2017.Further reading. McGovern, Brian Vincent (January–February 1999). Archived from on July 13, 2001. Retrieved April 24, 2007.refers to Five Iron Frenzy in their song 'Five Iron Frenzy Is Either Dead or Dying' in their EP and album.External links.Related projects.