Winners Never Quit, but The End Is Near: The Thread for Fans of Five Iron Frenzy

Okay, honestly, I'm curious to see how many others actually know about Five Iron. I attended their farewell tour recently, and bought their last CD.

So, for those of you who've heard of them...

What's your favorite song?
Favorite album?
What do you think of "The End Is Near"?
Did/will you see them on tour this last chance?
Do you think their breaking up is a good idea?

 

Wow, you read my mind. I was just going to start an FIF thread. Five Iron Frenzy is my favourite band of all time, and tomorrow I am going to see them on their farewell tour.

What's your favorite song? Dandelions and Far Far Away, although if we are also counting Brave Saint Saturn Estrella is a favourite of mine as well
Favorite album? Five Iron Frenzy 2: The Electric Boogaloo and The Light of Things Hoped For by their side band Brave Saint Saturn
What do you think of "The End Is Near"? It's typically brilliant FIF work, but honestly I haven't really got to listen to it enough to pass judgement on it yet
Did/will you see them on tour this last chance? Tomorrow I really wish I could go to their final concert, but I don't think I can. My brother and friends might, which makes it worse
Do you think their breaking up is a good idea? I trust that they feel it's what's best and in God's plan, though of course as a fan I think it's sad


-sj loves kevin spacey

 

I apologize for starting this thread with my sock. Here are my own answers to the questions I posed...

What's your favorite song?
This is a tricky one. The first Five Iron CD I ever bought was "Our Newest Album Ever," and "Every New Day" was my favorite for a long, long time. When I bought "Quantity is Job #1" and received "Upbeats and Beatdowns" for Christmas, "Dandelions" and "The Flowery Song" enjoyed brief periods as my favorite song, but "Every New Day" held the title for the most part. Then "All the Hype that Money Can Buy" came out, and "World Without End" became my favorite song. After "Electric Boogaloo" came out, "Far, Far Away" was my favorite, but now, "On Distant Shores," featuring lyrics from the classic "Every New Day," may very well have stolen the title. This is why a friend of mine refuses to name a favorite color... it changes too often.

Favorite album?
Without question, the old classic Our Newest Album Ever.

What do you think of "The End Is Near"?
I loved it... in fact, I've been listening to it all day. The songs are absolutely great (I particularly love the one Lenore wrote).

Did/will you see them on tour this last chance?
Yup. And I loved it. I'm still not crazy about Bleach as their opening act, but the actual FIF performance was wonderful. I cracked up when their medley erupted in "Combat Chuck!"

Do you think their breaking up is a good idea?
I DID... "Electric Boogaloo" was not my favorite CD, and thought that maybe it was time... however, "The End is Near" made me think that it's a shame that they're breaking up. It's fitting, though. It's a good note to go out on. And, solojones, you're right; if it's God's plan, then it's for the good.

 

Okay, officially, I'm taking a song from The End is Near as the theme song for my upcoming 18th birthday (a little over a week away)...

"Anyway, I'm not cliché,
I hardly own any ties,
Well, I may be old, but
At least I'm not like all those other old guys!"

 

I haven't been able to listen to The End is Near because I haven't seen them on their Farewell tour yet. I'm going to see them on the 9th of Novemeber and finally I'll be able to pick up The End is Near and of course say goodbye to FIF.

What's your favorite song?
My favorite song of theirs would have to be Oh, Canada. Although their best song (IMO) would have to be Every New Day or Farsighted. I still get chills everytime I listen to Every New Day and I really like the lyrics to Farsighted.
Favorite album?
Our Newest Album Ever, why? Because it has Superpowers, Oh, Canada, Kitty Doggy, Blue Comb '78, and Every New Day.
What do you think of "The End Is Near"?
Like I said I haven't heard it yet.
Did/will you see them on tour this last chance?
I've got my tickets! Not going to their last last show but I'm going to their last show ever in Seattle.
Do you think their breaking up is a good idea?
If they feel it is, then yes I agree with them. If they feel God has a different plan for them then they should go with it.

 

Every New Day is indeed also a favourite of mine. It's a very beautiful song and a really fitting way for them to end their last CD and their last concert as well (since it's the last song in the set, besides praise music). I liked how it was used in Distant Shores, that's a possibly even better song. I like how the first song in the set is Old West, the first song on Upbeats and Beatdowns. Fitting.

I have a few questions:

When did you become a Five Iron Fan?
Which of their albums do you have?
How many FIF concerts have you been to?
Are you a Brave Saint Saturn fan?



and to answer those myself....

When did you become a Five Iron Fan?
In winter of 1998 when my brother got Quantity is Job 1. He hadn't heard of FIF but a friend had recommended them. From then on, we've both been die-hard fans.

Which of their albums do you have?
All of them except Upbeats and Beatdowns and Our Newest Album Ever. Yes, I know, that's quite sad But most of the best songs from those albums are on Proof that the Youth are Revolting anyway. Still, I plan to get those two albums once I have the money anyway.


How many FIF concerts have you been to?
I saw them at Sonshine 02 and then tonight I'm seeing them for Winners Never Quit. Unfortunately I wasn't really old enough to handle a concert when I first became a fan, since I was only 11

Are you a Brave Saint Saturn fan?
Completely. I love both BSS albums! I really regret that I've never had an opportunity to see them play live, though. I don't even know if they were ever around here... Their albums are different than FIF certainly but even differ from each other as So Far from Home is more accoustic than The Light of Things Hoped For. However, they are both beautiful. I think my favourite BSS songs are Estrella, Under Bridges, The Sun Also Rises, Babies Breath, So Far From Home, and... oh, the last song on the second album. Dang my memory.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

When did you become a Five Iron Fan?
The summer of 1998, at the Cornerstone Music Festival in Illinois. Our church youth group went in '98 and in '99, and that's when I really became a fan of not just Five Iron, but of "Christian Ska," the ultimate niche market.

Which of their albums do you have?
Upbeats and Beatdowns, Our Newest Album Ever, Quantity is Job #1, All the Hype that Money Can Buy, Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo, The Cheeses of Nazareth Pennsylvania, and The End Is Near. That's basically all their real CDs... I don't have any of the demos, but those are on Cheeses... the only other CD that really counts as an "album" that they have is the live Proof That The Youth Are Revolting, which I probably SHOULD get. I was at that concert (Cornerstone '99), and they had, at their booth in the merch tent, a signup list, so, if you were there, you could be listed in the album booklet (turned into more of a poster) as a backup singer. I didn't make it, but I have found a friend of mine.

How many FIF concerts have you been to?
Five, though it could be more. With festivals thrown in, it's hard to keep track. The "Winners Never Quit" set was great... I especially loved the fact that once they finished "Old West," the second song they did was "Handbook for the Sellout," which was the first Five Iron song I had ever heard... all the way to the first Cornerstone festival, there was a guy who was attempting to sing it the whole time. He couldn't carry a tune in a bag, and he didn't know all the words, but he was always mumbling, "Do you remember where we all came from? Do you remember what it's all about?" When I heard Five Iron perform that week, SOMETHING SOUNDED FAMILIAR!!

Are you a Brave Saint Saturn fan?
Here's where I must make a confession... I actually haven't heard enough Brave Saint Saturn to judge. Hmmm... I must remedy this. Christmas is coming up, and everyone keeps asking me what they should get me...

 

One more...

Any happy Five Iron related memories or anecdotes to share with the class?

This summer, I went to Russia with a group of Americans, and we spent a month with a bunch of Russian kids... one of them, Yura, liked being called "Chuck Norris." Don't ask me why... he had had that nickname as long as anyone had known him. He didn't know much English, but, judging from the way he spoke, his Russian wasn't exactly proper, either, so he had this funny little mumbled accent...

At one point, he tried to tackle me, making big explosion-noises, and I had to tell him, as best as I could in my mangled ten-word Russian vocabulary, "Not now, Chuck," and, having Five Iron on the brain (another girl on the trip had ordered The End is Near over the Internet and let me borrow it), it came out, "Nyessi chass, Combat Chuck."

This tickled him to no end. He giggled.

Well, I had nearly forgotten about it until I saw him wandering around the next day with a CD player somebody had let him borrow... so I ran and grabbed Upbeats and Beatdowns, and played him "Combat Chuck."

After that, every time he saw me, he would cheer, in his weird little accent, "Kahmbot Chuck, yhoa, yhoa, Kahmbot Chuck, pickee tup, pickee tup!"

I said I cracked up when the medley erupted in "Combat Chuck..." in truth, it reminded me of Chuck from Russia, and if I hadn't cracked up laughing, I probably would have cried. The only part they did, after all, was "Combat Chuck, yo, yo, Combat Chuck, pick it up, pick it up!"

Ah. Good times.

 

Sounds like an awesome experience and memory A cool FIF related memory I have has to do with meeting one of my best friends now through FIF. We had talked online at an ER board and when we talked on Instant Messenger one night, discovered we were both huge FIF fans (well, her sn was FIFRENZIE87 and mine is FiveIron87, figure it out ). We were both going to see FIF at Sonshine 02 and we met up there. She lives in Minnesota and I'm from there and go there quite often. She's like a big sister to me (she's 18 and I'm 16) and also a great friend and sister in Christ. That's been an amazing relationship that God has given me

Now, let me tell about the concert last night some... because, wow.

I went with a friend who had only heard a few FIF songs (of course, being my friend, and being that I listen to them a lot). And she had never been to a real concert where it was standing room only so it was a bit of a shock to her. But she completely got into it, and thought the guys were all great and hillarious of course. I think I've made her a complete FIF fan now She bought a shirt and 2 CDs.

Anyway, here are some of the funny things that happened at the concert:

* Reese started talking about how he loves KC because this venue we were at was the first stop on their first real tour (outside of CO). But then someone mentioned football. If you're an NFL fan, you'll know that the Chiefs and the Broncos have been rivals forever. Now we are 7-0 and they are 5-2, so we had way too much fun Dennis was like "We're trying to tell you how much we love you and you have to bring up football!" and Reese is like "Hey, hey, we're in second!" and I yelled out "We're in first!" and he just gave this sad/defeated face. It was amusing.

* a kid up front had a sign that said 'Call me onstage', so Keith took it and pointed this out and instructed everyone to call the kid by the name 'onstage' for the rest of the night (which everyone did).

* there were some pretty young kids, maybe 7th graders, and they were up front going crazy. Eventually the guys pulled one of the kids up on stage so he wouldn't get crushed and made a speech about how it wasn't nice to crush children. Then Reese said the kid looked like an orphan or something and started singing 'It's a Hard Knock Life', but he obviously didn't know the words because he was like 'Instead of water... we get..food'. The kid was just stading on stage going crazy for about 5 minutes.

* Reese was telling people to step back from the stage, and said, "Anyone who gets too close to the stage I have to bodyslam them. But my fiancee doesn?t think that?s very kind, so if I do that relationship could end."
And Dennis remarked, "And then Brave Saint Saturn would have to have a new album about that."
It makes more sense if you're a BSS fan. There were obviously a few of us big BSS fans there and we started cracking up.

* I don't even know what was going on here. Reese had something that was Dennis' or something and then Dennis goes, "That's mine! Did you open my cubby?"
And all the other guys started heckling him for not being a cool rock star because he used the word 'cubby'. Then Keith said "You?re going to see this on VH1 behind the music soon. The real reason Five Iron broke up? ?You opened my cubby!?"


* Reese asked at one point in the concert, "Hey, what day is it?" and some people up front were like, "Uh, Tuesday?" and he's like "No, I know but besides Tuesday what day is it?"
Apparently only me and the guy next to me (who also knew all the words to all the songs ) knew he was referring to the themed days for the tour they have posted on their website. We started shouting "It's 'Be That Guy' day!" and Reese finally heard us and was like "Oh yeah, Be That Guy day..." Everyone else was confused.
On another note, I think I won the 'Be That Guy' day... thing. Because you're supposed to wear an FIF shirt, so I did. And as soon as I got there I bought a BSS shirt and another FIF shirt. I put them all on. I was wearing three FIF/BSS shirts the whole show. It was q

 

Yeah, at the concert here, everyone crowding the stage had those disposable cameras... and while they performed "You Probably Shouldn't Move Here," Reese started grabbing cameras out of the audience, turning around, and snapping pics of himself leaning out over the audience an singing.

One guy tried to get up on stage with them for a picture, but Reese reprimanded him: "Hey, just wait until we're done working, okay? We can do it later, but do I come bug you for pictures at work? Do I come interrupt you at K-Mart?"

That's better than the crowdsurfing incedent... All night, they had been asking people NOT to crowdsurf. Bleach got after one guy for stagediving. And, right after they finished up "O, Canada," Sonnie put the bass down and said, "Okay, I just want to point out the actions of one fan, here... there were a group of people, over there, dancing in a big circle. And there's nothing wrong with that, of course, dancing is cool. But this guy decided, even though we asked you not to crowdsurf, to go crowding surfing where THERE WERE NO PEOPLE. So either some little girl I didn't see got hurt breaking his fall, or he went right down on his head..."

Reese added, "And right about now, he's going, 'yeah, they're talkin' 'bout me!!'"

 

Haha Something I really love about Five Iron is that they are not only good musicians, but they don't take themselves too seriously for it. They don't have this elitist attitude like "we're the band up here playing our songs and you are there and you watch". They really like to interact with their fans and I think it's great.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

And, right after they finished up "O, Canada," Sonnie put the bass down and said, "Okay, I just want to point out the actions of one fan, here..."

Man, I have been listening to The End is Near WAY too much... "See the Flames Begin to Crawl" is stuck in my head, and as I wrote that last post, I started to write it differently...

And, right after they finished up "O, Canada," Sonnie put the bass down, bass down, one time, snap the neck now, drum set, smash it, kick the kick drum, one time, kick it, kicked in, break it, break up... and said...

 

I have been listening to 'All of the Hype that Your Money Can Buy' nonstop since 10:45 when I got home. That's two hours now. I love this CD.

I think we should discuss every single FIF song. Ever. But where should we start? If we start in the beginning, erm, I still need to get Upbeats and Beatdowns and Our Newest Album ever, because most those songs are on Live but not all of them.

And I found this test which cracked me up:

[image=http://somegirl.hxc.com/fif/reese.jpg]
Take the Five Iron Frenzy personality test!

Sooooo very true, though. I'm a lot like Reese, only I play bass


-sj loves kevin spacey

 

[image=http://home.swbell.net/whetston/brad.jpg]

I'm Brad.

I don't believe in ghosts,
I've never seen one,
But isn't the trumpet playing haunting on this album?

Okay, we'll start at Quantity Is Job #1, then.

My Evil Plan to Save the World...

 

This being the first song on QiJ1, it's the first FIF song I ever heard. Right off the bat, I knew this was a completely different kind of music than I'd ever heard. I still love this song. The lyrics are brilliant, especially the title line; it's wonderfully ironic. This is an FIF song I never tire of and often get stuck in my head.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

I love the Frenzy to no end! I'm so happy that I stopped by the board today and found this thread. They are my favorite band an inspiration.

I have to chose favorites?!?!? No! Well, here is my best shot:

What's your favorite song?
Oh man, there are so many! But if I had to chose one it is Every New Day.
Favorite album?
I love The End is Near. I think it is their best work today and an excellent way to end.
What do you think of "The End Is Near"?
Once again, I absolutly love it. I love all the songs, especially On Distant Shores, which is an amazing song.
Did/will you see them on tour this last chance?
I'll be here in Denver on Nov. 22 at the last show. I'm so stoked but sad at the same time!
Do you think their breaking up is a good idea? While it makes me sad, the band seems really happy about it. Most of them are married so maybe it is a good time for them to devote time to family and other interests. I really believe them when they say they have been called to other things. They had an incredible run and I wish them the best of luck! And we still have Brave Saint Saturn for a while!

And I'm so happy to know that there are people on the board who enjoy FIF as much as I do!

 

Well, I just found SoloJones' questions. Silly me for rushing through reading the thread.

When did you become a Five Iron Fan?
I'm not sure how long it is, but I remember hearing Oh, Canada and I was hooked.
Which of their albums do you have?
Quality is Job 1, Our Newest Album Ever, Electric Bugaloo 2, The End is Near, and All the Hype that Money Can Buy.
How many FIF concerts have you been to?
oh wow, I really don't know
Are you a Brave Saint Saturn fan?
YES!!!!!!!! definately

 

Cool Janet, I'm glad you happened by the thread as well. It's good to see that at least we have a few dedicated FIF fans on the JC. Personally, I don't know anyone in my school who's really an FIF fan. One kid I know of likes them but isn't a huge fan.

But it's been my experience through concerts and frenzyboard.com that the average age of a true FIF fan is about 20. I always feel so young there because I don't think anyone there is my age But...but... I've been a fan since I was 11 It's not my fault I have good taste! Yeah, my friend who went to the concert with me really liked them, though. She got Quantity is Job 1 and Cheeses of Nazareth (she likes joke songs). But before we went she didn't even know what ska was

I think I'm going to make a t-shirt that says 'I <3 Ska' and wear it to see if anyone at school even knows what the heck I'm talking about.

I hadn't considered until a few days ago that BSS wouldn't be breaking up when FIF did. But then I read an interview with Reese and he said BSS was always planned to be a trilogy of albums Which means one more uber-awesome BSS album! w007! The best thing is, though, they might have a tour then since they never had time to before. And if not a tour, at least they'll be playing at some festivals most likely. I haven't had the chance to see BSS yet and I would reaaaallly like to. And it would be a great kind of post-FIF mini-reunion

Hey Janet, why don't you put the line from 'On Distant Shores' in your sig too? C'mon! All the cool kids are doing it

Ope,I have another question:

Have you heard about Guerilla Rodeo?

My answer to that one is, yes, yes I have. Can't wait. I'm so going to as many concerts of theirs as I can just to harass Reese and Sonnie. Oh, I hope the music's good too, though. But I will go wearing a shirt that says Saint Guerilla Frenzy with each word out of each band's respective logos. Maybe on the back it will say something like 'R33S3 1S MY H3R0!'

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Ok, I caved in to peer pressure and put On Distant Shores into my sig. I really love that song though.

Yes, I've heard of Gorilla Rodeo, I haven't actually heard any of the stuff though. So I can't wait for that. And I love the Saint Guerilla Frenzy t-shirt idea! And I don't know if there is a typical age for FIF fans. I know there are middle-aged soccer moms and 5th graders who love them. Which is awesome because the message is really for everyone. And there's nothing wrong with being young, especially if you are such an awesome fan! I never really found anyone else who really liked FIF until I got to college, and it turns out that two of my closest friends love them. So, I'm rambling again, but FIF is something that I never get tired of!

Oh, and my thoughts on My Evil Plan to
Save the World, well I love it. It's a great start to the album. I love how upbeat it is. You will hear me say this about many other songs, but I love the lyrics and just how great it is.

 

You can go to guerillarodeo.com and check out the info on the band. There's not much now but I guess there will be soon.

Ok comments on the next couple songs off of QIJ1



All That is Good

This is a song with a really great point- Christians aren't perfect. We have to stop projecting the idea that we are or can be. But we have to try to represent Christ while still realising we are human.


Dandelions

This is one of my favourite songs of all time. It has beautiful music but more than that the lyrics are awesome. They are so honest in typical FIF fashion, and it creates a beautiful picture of our struggles to do something for God and his unconditional love.


One Girl Army

I can't say this is one of my favourite songs... I have to admit, I don't really understand it. I mean, I know it's about Mary but I don't completely get it. Darn Reese and his poeticness

-sb loves tony perkins

 

Are you a Brave Saint Saturn fan?

Yes, I am. I got "The Light of Things Hoped For" for my birthday, and I love it.

Have you heard about Guerilla Rodeo?

I have now.

My Evil Plan To Save The World...

One of Five Iron's more catchy songs. I think they avoid their major pratfall here... One of the things they've tended to do is get caught up in the songs that come off as deep and TRY to be profound, and in a few cases (on Electric Boogaloo, especially, though I'd also sight "Giants" on Hype), it just doesn't work. However, the idea that man can do better than God is certainly not a new development. The bridge expresses a sentiment that one hears A LOT on the mission field. Plus, the title is so fun... to have an evil plan to save the world just makes me think, "YES, Pinky!!"

All That Is Good...

A great song to put after My Evil Plan. This one takes up the other side... Christian culture as commented on from an obviously Christian perspective. It makes a point that many people really need to hear. "In honesty, there's room for improvement; thoughts may change, the truth be told. A closed mind will leave you empty, use your mind to use your soul." Hmmm... dang, I could have quoted that when I gave the message in church on Sunday.

Dandelions...

What can I say about Five Iron's slowest... and unquestionably one of the best... songs? The pure honesty of it is moving, and the imagery is something everyone can connect with (who hasn't picked his mother a boquet of weeds? I know I did). It's nearly impossible to sing along without raising your hands in a very real prayer. This song is Quantity-era FIF at its very best.

One Girl Army...

No, not their best, but it's catchy. You have to give it that. And even if it's about someone we don't know, there's still something noble about the fact that "She is strong but never silent, sure of where her strength comes from."

Sweet Talkin' Woman...

I know Five Iron didn't write this one. But I love it, because my Mom knew the original and enjoys hearing the remake.

When I Go Out...

This one's just pure fun. What could be better than a song about playing in the street, making mashed potatoes, and getting hit by a car? A song that's straightforwardly about that, with nothing else added.

 

Sweet Talkin' Woman
I love this song. ELO is great It's such a fun song that I can get stuck in my head for so long, but it's great so I don't mind.

When I Go Out
This being my first FIF album, when I heard this song all I could do was pause for a second, listen to it again, and laugh my head off.

-sb loves tony perkins

 

UP to keep this on Page 1!

 

Go and Get Your Riot Gear
I can't say this is my favorite song, but it is catchy. You know, however, that the song isn't going to be their best when the lyric sheet prefaces it with the statement that they're not trying to bash the police...

The Untimely Death of Brad
Ah, these kinds of songs are fun, aren't they? No, you can't believe everything you read on the Internet, but you can get a good song from it.

These Are Not My Pants: The Rock Opera
Latin Track
We'll judge these by my sister's reaction... in this case, "What the...?"
Lounge-Singer Track
She snickered. She actually likes this CD now.
Country Track
"Oh, my gosh..."
Metal Track
"Holy cow..." *laughs*
R&B Track
"They are crazy." (She heard "I ain't wearin' no pants.") "Oh!" *cracks up*
Reggae Track
Do you remember that show "Ally MacBeal"? When John Cage would "take a moment," just shaking his head and cradling the bridge of his nose while he sorted things out?
Geek/Polka Track
At "BOBBY!" I don't think I've ever seen her laugh so hard.
Rap Track
This actually confused her until she realized they were making fun of rap and bleeping "Street" and "Eat," and she cracked up about the third time she heard it.

Kingdom of the Dinosaurs
I think Five Iron themselves pretty much took care of this on The End is Near with "How the Story Ends," but I still love hearing, "I'm sorry to all the kids who bought this album, and to their parents, and their dogs, who have to listen to this..."

 

Just bumping this FORWARD! and back UP! to page one.

solojones, where are you?