I've been thinking about this for a while and maybe will write about it later, but just wanted to collect some of the stuff that's being written about Five Iron Frenzy's reunion, Kickstarter campaign, etc. This feels like kind of a defining cultural event for that weird demographic I belong to called People Who Were Really Into Christian Indie Rock in the 90s. There are a lot of threads: the demise of record labels and the rise of social media making things better for bands, what it means when an ostensibly youth-oriented band reunites when we're all adults now, why third-wave ska should remain dead, what it means to be a Christian band, how evangelicals deal with topics like "loss of faith" and "new atheism" (several of the band's members are now atheists), and how Five Iron Frenzy manages to be such a good-ass band despite looking cheesy as hell on paper.
For now, I just want to point you toward some of the interesting interviews and commentaries that have been written about this event.
The original Kickstarter campaign raised like $60,000 in an hour, and is up to $180,000. UPDATE: The final tally was $207,980. That's approximately $25,000 per band member.
"A Five Iron Frenzy Story" : Bringing a Dead Band Back to Life by Joel Gratyck. The story of how a confluence of misunderstandings and fans' enthusiasm indirectly led to the band deciding to reunite.
"Five Iron Frenzy, Kickstarter, and why this may be the most important thing to happen to Christian music in decades" by Stuart Greene is a good commentary on the implications this thing has for the idea of a "Christian (pop) music industry."
Relevant magazine's interview with Reese Roper.
An in-depth interview with Roper (maybe the most in-depth one I've seen) by music blogger John Mouser, parts 1 and 2.
Scott Kerr wrote this very personal post on the Five Iron website about why he is OK with being in the band (and why the others OK with it, too) despite his not being a Christian.
Leanor Ortega Till has done some candid and informative interviews with the Phantom Tollbooth, Absolute Punk, and Jesus Freak Hideout.
1 comment:
Joel, this is a great way to capture what's happening with Five Iron Frenzy. I applaud you and your blog, despite your use of the adjective "good-ass," which reminds me of a horrible roommate I once had. :)
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