Five Iron Frenzy

A Denver, Colorado band that stood out for their Christian faith and energetic ska sound, Five Iron Frenzy came together in 1995. Singer Reese Roper, bassist Keith Hoerig, drummer Andrew Verdecchio, and guitarists Scott Kerr and Micah Ortega had a Christian industrial metal band, but were attracted to the ska and punk sound that was popular at the time. When a debut Christian coffee shop gig in 1995 was a success, they began looking for horn players and were eventually joined by saxophonist Leanor Ortega (Micah’s cousin), trumpeter Nathaniel Dunham, and trombonist Dennis Culp. Playing gigs equally at religious and secular venues, the band gained local footing, eventually opening for such major ska inflected bands as The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. They released their debut album, Upbeats and Bedtowns in late 1996 on an independent label, but it was rereleased in 1997 with major label backing and landed in the top 40 of the Contemporary Christian album chart. They toured extensively, releasing their second album, Quality Is Job 1 in November of 1998. Kerr left the band and was replaced by Sonnie Johnson. They released a live album, Proof the Youth Are Revolting, in 1999 and had their biggest crossover success, cracking the top 200 on the main album chart. As the ska resurgence ended, the band diversified their sound on the 2000 album All the Hype That Money Can Buy, and the release was a top 10 Christian album as well as climbing to 146 on the mainstream album chart. This sonic evolution continued on 2001’s Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo, which abandoned ska altogether for a rock and pop-punk sound. Due in part to a change in some members’ religious convictions, the band went on hiatus after a farewell hometown gig in 2003. They reformed eight years later and crowdfunded the money for their next album, 2013’s Engine of a Million Plots. The band would occasionally perform live during the rest of the decade.