Five Iron Frenzy - The Rise and Fall of Five Iron Frenzy
Rating
RIYL
Less Than JakeThe Supertones
Reel Big Fish
Release Date
04/13/2010
Label
Asian Man Records
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I have something to say, and I am not ashamed: I love Five Iron Frenzy. I loved them when I was 12, and years later, I still listen to the Christian ska-punk band on a regular basis. I love them so much that they could just fart on tape and it would probably end up being one of the most played songs on my iPod (actually, I do have that track, and I love it). Being the Five Iron aficionado that I am, I geeked out when their new retrospective DVD The Rise and Fall of Five Iron Frenzy showed up for review. As a superfan, I knew I would devour whatever was on this two-disc DVD, but how would this release shape up for a casual fan or someone completely unfamiliar with their brand of off-kilter, goofy, unorthodox ska?
For starters, the production level on this DVD is top-notch. The cover and the DVD menus are inspired by or taken straight from their various album covers, providing a new look into the under appreciated artwork of Douglas TenNapel (of Earthworm Jim fame). The quality of the full-length documentary and extras are mostly great, with even the most obscure and obtuse archived live footage being audible and fun to watch. The extras on the second disc are mostly great, with the live footage, most notably their entire farewell show, being a treasure for those of us who weren’t able to make it to Denver for their last show.
The main attraction in The Rise and Fall of Five Iron Frenzy is the feature length documentary chronicling the history of the band. Beginning with some awesome credits introducing the members of the band, the film launches into the life of the band, who were “riding the fence between a secular fad and Christian phenomenon.” From their humble beginnings as an industrial metal band full of long-haired church youth-group kids to their explosion into being the biggest band in Christian music to an inability to break into the mainstream punk scene to their amiable dissolution while at the top of their game, the documentary leaves no stone unturned. With tons of interviews with members and friends, ample live footage, and a little too much footage of the band goofing off, the film shows us a side of the band many of us were unable to see.
Honesty is how the documentary excels, and it delves into every facet of the band’s past. While there is the typical discussion of the perils of touring and the desire to make their band into something bigger, the DVD breaches other subjects that wouldn’t be around if Five Iron weren’t a Christian band. At the end of the documentary, some members’ faith has grown, but at least two have completely lost their faith for various reasons, and the candid interviews with these now non-Christians provide some insight that most fans weren’t aware of. Also of note is the discussion of the band's constant struggle of always being booked in ‘Christian’ venues by their label, even though their desire was to play in bars and clubs. Because this documentary is no-holds-barred, we get to see sides of the band that most of us didn’t know existed.
However, it isn’t all perfect. The documentary is LONG. Even for a superfan, a three-hour and fifteen minute documentary is too much. There’s tons of great stuff in there, but also a lot of footage that should have been cut, mainly the footage of them goofing off and acting stupid. While it may have been an important part of the band, it isn’t very funny to watch on tape. The “Short Films” extras suffer from the same problem: these jokes may have been funny to them on tour in 1996, but all of them are just a waste of time for anyone else. Lastly, I would liked to have seen them discuss the side project Brave Saint Saturn at some point in the documentary. For many of us fans, this side project was every bit as good as Five Iron and twice as mysterious.
Regardless of these qualms, this DVD is a must buy for fans, and something I plan on revisiting often because it makes me feel like I’m hanging out with friends that I haven’t seen in years. For non-fans, this DVD, especially the documentary, will just be overkill. But honestly, I’m just glad this was made. It documents an important band and scene that some of us were part of for a brief time when we were young. For letting me (and others, I suspect) relive my youth, this DVD is priceless.
--Stephen Harris
Comments
Atascadero, CA
Pretty much one of the first bands I got into when I got into punk/ska back in 1996. I don't know if nowdays I would be that into them again but definitely an amazing band when ska was big. It was like them and Mad Caddies for me. Back then I think I didn't like them as much as I should have due to the Christian tag they were always placed with, but nowdays being Christian it's a lot easier to accept and appreciate where and what they did.
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Baton Rouge
I was very suprised at how quickly the documentary went. When I saw 180 MINUTES on the box, I thought it was a joke, but I watched this late at night with my brother (who is a borderline narcoleptic) and we made it through with no trouble. Plus, I laughed more during this than I have in a while. This is definitely one of the better band retrospectives I have seen. No wonder it took Reese seven years to complete.
Also, Aaron, you should check out Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo--I like all of their albums out of nostalgia, but that one is timeless.
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Washington, DC
Something important I didn't put in the review: Leanor "Jeff the Girl" Ortega is still hot as ever.
"Standing still is where we've gone wrong" - The dingees
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