• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Photo

Sony Music UCLA Alum and Five For Fighting mastermind John Ondrasik will be playing at the House of Blues tonight.

By Alex Palmer

DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR

apalmer@media.ucla.edu

Tonight, a Bruin returns to his old stomping ground intending to entertain, to inspire, but mainly to rock his fans and friends.

John Ondrasik, the piano man more commonly known by his stage moniker Five for Fighting, will be performing his blend of rock and pop music tonight at the House of Blues in West Hollywood.

Ondrasik (pronounced “on-draw-sick”) is currently best known for his sweeping ballad “Superman,” but the singer-songwriter hopes to showcase his other material at tonight’s show.

Los Angeles is familiar territory for Ondrasik, who was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and graduated from UCLA as an applied mathematics student.

“My mom graduated from USC and my dad graduated from UCLA. I grew up with the rivalry in my blood,” Ondrasik said.

Perhaps as a ploy to bring his son over to the blue and gold, Ondrasik’s father was taking him to UCLA basketball games by the time Ondrasik was three. The musician still tries to make it to games as often as he can.

Basketball isn’t the only sport that interests Ondrasik. His stage handle originally comes from a penalty call in hockey (when a rowdy player gets five minutes out for fighting).

It was Ondrasik’s mother, a professional pianist, who introduced him to music by teaching her son how to play almost before she taught him to walk.

Despite his skill at the keys, Ondrasik lost interest in piano by the time he hit junior high.

“Then I learned the true meaning of music – to meet women,” Ondrasik said. “I couldn’t carry my piano on my back to parties, but I could carry a guitar.”

As he entered high school, Ondrasik picked up a guitar (he stole his sister’s) and threw himself into songwriting. He’s been writing and performing ever since, and recently his efforts have paid off.

“America Town,” Five for Fighting’s sophomore album, has sold surprisingly well and spawned a No. 1 hit with “Superman.”

But financial success has made far less of an impact on Ondrasik than the emotional impact his music has had on fans.

“It’s been humbling to see what my music has done for people,” Ondrasik said.

In particular, Five for Fighting’s single struck a chord with Americans after Sept. 11.

The song’s touching melodies and poignant references to the challenges of heroism and day-to-day living made it a source of comfort to many. The power of “Superman” was clear to Ondrasik’s during of his performance of the song at the 2001 Concert for New York.

“I will never be able to process all the emotions I experienced that night. From unimaginable sorrow to incredible triumph, it was a night of a lifetime,” Ondrasik said.

Ondrasik takes his music seriously, illustrated by the songs on “America Town.” Despite its pop melodies, the album is thoughtful and touches on themes ranging from the lies of politicians to the pain of divorce.

Five for Fighting’s new single, “Easy Tonight,” was written right after the Columbine tragedy in 1999 and deals with a high school student’s struggle with his girlfriend’s suicide.

“I feel like it’s actually a really positive song. It’s about a guy who doesn’t know where he’s going but knows he’s going to make it through,” Ondrasik said.

But the song that Ondrasik is most proud of is the divorce-themed “Love Song,” which he has been performing for over six years and feels that it is both lyrically and musically the strongest song on “America Town.”

Five for Fighting will be performing all of these songs tonight at the House of Blues.

Ondrasik is enjoying his current success but hopes to make a lasting impact on his listeners.

“We need songs to place our memories. When I hear (The Police’s) “Every Breath You Take,” it brings me back to that party on Gayley. I want the songs I write to have that kind of effect,” said Ondrasik.