New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Grammy nominated, platinum-selling artist, Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) will be hitting the road this July and August, bringing along his band, drummer Randy Cooke (Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart), bassist Sean Hurley (John Mayer, Ringo Starr, Alanis Morissette), and guitarist Peter Thorn (Chris Cornell, Melissa Etheridge, Don Henley), to play the songs his fans have loved for over two decades along with his recent viral sensations.
"If it's summer, the Five for Fighting rock band is back in the bus!" says Ondrasik. "It's always a thrill for me to play with such amazing musicians, Pete, Randy, and Sean. We look forward to playing songs people know and love and some of the newer songs like 'OK (We Are Not Ok)' that I performed in Hostage Square in Israel the night Iran attacked. We'll tell some stories along the way and, as always, recognize our wonderful troops and military families. We pride ourselves in putting on a family show, so bring the kids, bring the grandparents, and we will see you this summer!"
To date, Five For Fighting, has released six studio albums, including the platinum certified America Town and The Battle for Everything; and the top-10 charting Two Lights, along with an EP and live albums. Ondrasik has penned major hits, including the chart-topping "100 Years," "The Riddle," "Chances," "World," and "Easy Tonight," which have earned tens of millions of streams and place him as a top-10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s. The reflective "100 Years" has joined "Superman (It's Not Easy)" as part of the American Songbook and continues to stand the test of time at weddings, birthdays, graduations, memorials, and many a home video. Five For Fighting's music has also been featured in more than 350 films, television shows, and commercials, including the Oscar-winning The Blind Side, Hawaii Five-O, The Sopranos and the CBS drama, Code Black.
Ondrasik's passion for supporting humanitarian efforts and freedom has been a longstanding commitment for the artist as well. Recently, he's been taking a non-political stance on key events around the world, writing songs from a humanistic perspective. He recently released "OK (We Are Not Ok)" in response to the October 7th Hamas attacks in Israel, while addressing the cultural aftermath both in America and around the world. Michael Ramirez, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, drew the single cover image. Hours before Iran's missile attack on Israel on April 13, Ondrasik performed "OK (We Are Not Ok)" " in Tel Aviv. The singer/songwriter also performed his 9-11 anthem song, "Superman (It's Not Easy)." Ondrasik has been one of the few in the entertainment industry who has spoken up after the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel - read The Wall Street Journal story "A Lone Voice Sings for Israel".
Ondrasik penned the track for "OK (We Are Not Ok)" in the same vein as his previous songs, "Blood On My Hands", about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan; and "Can One Man Save The World?", which was recorded in Kyiv in support of Ukraine. Says' Ondrasik, "'OK (We Are Not Ok)' is not a political message, but a moral one. A call to action."
Tying in with "Music In Our Schools Month," Ondrasik teamed up with The Tullman Family Office, through its operational philanthropic wing Tullman Community Ventures, for the "Music Matters Challenge." The national online music challenge asks Americans to create an original rendition of the song "Let Music Fill My World," a song recorded and written by Five For Fighting's John Ondrasik and students of the Farragut Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois; while sharing their own story of a time where music greatly impacted them, changed their life, or moved them to where they remember that story today. The challenge is designed to spotlight the magic of music and bring awareness to the generational impact of removing music from schools. The Grand Prize winners will be announced on May 31.
All tour dates are listed below.
TOUR DATES:
Thursday, July 11 Hot Summer Nights Concert Series @ Municipal Lawn in Sherman, TX (Free Show)
Saturday, July 27 @ Mystic Lake Casino, Mystic Amphitheater in Prior Lake, MN (Free Show)
Tuesday, August 6 @ Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore.PA
Thursday, August 8 @ Electric City in Buffalo, NY
Friday, August 9, 2024 @ House of Blues, Cambridge Room in Cleveland, OH
Saturday, August 10, 2024 @ St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit, MI
Sunday, August 11, 2024 @ Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, MI
Tuesday, August 13, 2024 @ Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 @ Oceanfront Concerts Series, 24th Street Park in Virginia Beach, VA
Friday, August 16, 2024 @ Cabot Theater in Beverly, MA
Saturday, August 17, 2024 @ The Wolf Den At Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT (Free Show)
Sunday, August 18, 2024 @ Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, NY
