INTERVIEW: Five for Fighting takes D.C. by storm, talks Afghanistan, arts, and Israeli hostages
THE LOWDOWN:
This week, Five for Fighting frontman John Ondrasik was joined by top Trump administration staffers at a sold-out concert to close out his latest nationwide tour.
In recent years, Ondrasik has been on a lonelier crusade, fighting against what he called “the malignancy attacking Western values and nations,” in an interview with the Washington Reporter that followed his latest nationwide tour.
Throughout his tour, Ondrasik noted that he is eager to return to Israel and play Superman with Alon on one side, and with Alon’s brother Ronen on the other.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) sang on stage with him and Fox News’s John Roberts shredded the guitar for multiple songs. Top Trump administration figures were in the audience, alongside conservative media figures like Larry O’Connor, Bethany and Seth Mandel, Hugh Hewitt, Mollie and Mark Hemingway, and more.
In the days after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, Five for Fighting frontman John Ondrasik was joined by the world’s top musicians to condemn the Islamic terrorists who struck at the heart of America.
This week, he was joined by top Trump administration staffers at a sold-out concert to close out his latest nationwide tour.
In recent years, Ondrasik has been on a lonelier crusade, fighting against what he called “the malignancy attacking Western values and nations,” in an interview with the Washington Reporter that followed his latest nationwide tour.
Ondrasik has penned songs criticizing the Biden administration for its failures in Afghanistan, supporting Ukraine following Vladimir Putin’s invasion, and even rewrote his famous song Superman in honor of Alon Ohel, an Israeli hostage who remains captive in Gaza.
Ondrasik’s message is particularly poignant this week, following the murder of two Israeli diplomats at an event in Washington, D.C. His remake of Superman is dedicated to Ohel, everyone else who is held hostage in Gaza by Palestinian terrorists, and to the families of the hostages. In his re-recorded music video, Ohel’s family members play on the yellow piano in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square that belonged to Alon while Ondrasik sings his verses from America.
Throughout his tour, Ondrasik noted that he is eager to return to Israel and play Superman with Alon on one side, and with Alon’s brother Ronen on the other.
The longtime musician has a simple barometer for when he chooses a cause to weigh in on.
“I simply prefer good over evil,” he explained. “If one can’t unequivocally condemn the Taliban, Putin, and Hamas, then I would argue they are accomplices in the malignancy attacking Western values and nations.”
Ondrasik’s final show of his tour — held at the historic Birchmere in Alexandria — was both sold out and attended by some of the nation’s top conservatives.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) sang on stage with him and Fox News’s John Roberts shredded the guitar for multiple songs. Top Trump administration figures were in the audience, alongside conservative media figures like Larry O’Connor, Bethany and Seth Mandel, Hugh Hewitt, Mollie and Mark Hemingway, and more.
Hewitt, who Ondrasik shouted out by name from the stage, told the Reporter that the latest performance is nothing new from Ondrasik.
“John has long been an artist eager to perform for our troops and the number of veterans he has performed for is reflected in the crowd and their applause for the military,” he said. “When called upon he rises to the occasion, working around the clock to get our allies in Afghanistan out when our mission there collapsed, performing with the Ukrainian national orchestra in a bombed out airport where the enormous airplane, the Antonov An-225 Mriya — the world's largest cargo plane — sits among the rubble and provided a jolt of adrenaline for his fellow players and whole country. Now he helps keep focus on the hostages in Gaza. His music is wonderful and his energy on stage has few equals. But he’s admired because he has selflessly put his talent to work for important causes and imperiled people.”
While Ondrasik’s audience skewed more conservative than a typical Alexandria show might, he said that it’s important for art to transcend politics.
“I hope over time we can get to a space where artistic ventures rise above politics,” he said. “The arts are for everyone and one of the few places we can listen to and hear each other.”
Following Ondrasik’s show, Hemingway told the Reporter that while he’s “genuinely annoyed when musical artists get political.”
“John Ondrasik is a really interesting artist — aside from being the consummate pop craftsman, there's basically nothing he doesn't do well as a performer or as a songwriter — and while he's really embraced politics, his message is one of unity and caring about our shared humanity.”
The day after Ondrasik’s final show, Ernst took him, his wife, and their daughter to lunch in the Senate; throughout his concert, Ondrasik’s daughter Olivia opened for him alongside her friend from college, Caroline Lace McPherson, who form the duo called Lace and Lee.
While nothing in Ondrasik’s performance should be political, his steadfast support for American soldiers and their families — including the 13 families whose loved ones were killed during President Joe Biden’s failed withdrawal from Afghanistan — differentiates him from many of his counterparts, several of which he singled out for criticism.
Hemingway underscored this point to the Reporter.
“It's really a measure of how stupid and polarized things are that so many issues he talks about are topics that other artists are too timid to address. He's about the only guy out there singing about the Israeli hostages or the families who lost their sons and daughters during the Afghan withdrawal. How such clear cut tragedies are coded as ‘political’ messages is beyond me.”
Ondrasik added that “if you can’t bring yourself to say ‘Release the Hostages,’ no matter your political bent, I fear you have joined the chorus of those who stood silent in 1938,” he said.
During his shows, he repeatedly condemned Bruce Springsteen, Bono, and Barbra Streisand for their silence in the wake of the October 7th terrorist attacks. “And for that there is no redemption.”
In recent weeks, Springsteen has caught particular flak from conservatives, ranging from the President of the United States to Hemingway.
“What John's doing in his music and performances is a lot closer to the original 1960s ‘all you need is love’ spirit of rock and roll almost than anyone else,” Hemingway said. “Meanwhile, guys such as Bruce Springsteen are on stage trying to litigate the fact the last election didn't go his way. It's embarrassing to watch a centimillionaire who hasn't had any working class cred in 40 years pretend he can tell people what to think about politics.”
Years after his earliest successes, Ondrasik turned towards using his talents for activism; his 2021 song, Blood on My Hands is described as “politically neutral, but morally-forward,” but nevertheless singles out “Uncle Joe,” “Winken’ Blinken,” “Willy Milly,” and “General Austin” for criticisms — several of which Ondrasik holds to this day; he still wants “a reckoning” for these failures.
“Our Afghan veterans deserve accountability and closure after we abandoned their Afghan allies and our own citizens to the Taliban,” he said. “The fact that not one person was fired or disciplined after the catastrophic withdrawal that caused deaths of 13 service members and plunged 20 million women into the dark ages is outrageous. Girls can still not go to school, and we still are working evacs. There is also the fact that General Milley, General Austin, and Jake Sullivan lied to the American people about the mental acuity of the Commander and Chief.”
While so many pop culture icons are known for their liberal advocacy or for their silence on issues like the ongoing hostage crisis caused by Palestinian terrorists, Ondrasik — who is not Jewish — has served as an example to many.
Bethany Mandel, who brought two of her children to the concert, told the Reporter that “it was really meaningful for our kids to see that there’s a very prominent non-Jew who sees the hostages as a black and white issue.”
“They’ve noticed that the people speaking out are almost always Jewish,” Mandel said. “The fact that he called that out and criticized his fellow musicians was great for them to hear.”
Hemingway echoed Mandel’s point on the inspiration that Ondrasik provides.
“Ondrasik is on stage trying to unite people, and to the extent he's pushing a message, he's trying to persuade the audience to live up to the values we already share as Americans,” he said. “It's refreshing, it's inspiring, and none of it detracts from the fact the music is always great with or without the message.”
Below is a transcript of our interview with John Ondrasik, known to many as Five for Fighting, lightly edited for clarity.
Washington Reporter:
What’s the significance of this tour itself to you? At the two shows I was at, you gave an unmistakable pro-America/pro-troop message — what was the reception for that throughout America?
John Ondrasik:
I wish everyone could see America through the eyes of a touring musician. The small-town charms, the bustling cities, and the beautiful scenery in between. I am blessed to have audiences of all ages and walks of life who appreciate the songs and stories both old and new. The honor of my life has been performing for our troops and singing their stories and that of their families. With all our faults I have a deep love for America and out historic stand for freedom and liberty. And I have no problem expressing that every night.
Washington Reporter:
For your show finale, you had Fox News’s John Roberts on the guitar and Joni Ernst join you for a song. How on earth did that come about?
John Ondrasik:
I met John at the 9:30 Club over 20 years ago when he came to a Five for Fighting show. We have been friends ever since; I’ve always known he was a shredding guitar player. It was so much fun to have him up there. John and Hugh Hewitt also introduced me to Joni Ernst, who I worked with during the Afghan withdrawals. We have become good friends and her favorite Five for Fighting song is World. It was an honor to sing that song that asked the question “what kind of world do you want?” She did a fantastic job during our duet.
Washington Reporter:
Following the show, you took the Hill by storm. Tell me about those meetings. What’s your message to the Hill?
John Ondrasik:
Today I had lunch in the Senate lunchroom with Joni and my wife and daughter, and got a impromptu tour into the bowels of the capital which was amazing. I always get chills when I walk into that magical building. My message to the Hill is if you haven’t stopped by Senator Ernst’s office and had the Iowa popcorn, you haven’t lived.
Washington Reporter:
How have you seen American culture change between Superman 1.0 and Superman 2.0?
John Ondrasik:
An interesting question. Certainly, the Internet and social media have had a massive effect on culture and how we consume news and communicate with each other. We also are a deeply tribal nation, mostly due to the ethical collapse of legacy media. That said, a musician can easily produce music, and have it heard by millions with only a laptop and a melody, and we can listen to it in our self-driving cars! I’m looking forward to making my next record on Mars.
Washington Reporter:
We’ve seen President Trump prioritize arts and culture a lot in his second term — look no further than how he and Ric Grenell are running the Kennedy Center. How has this been received in the artistic community?
John Ondrasik:
Of course, anything related to President Trump will be met with disdain and revulsion by most artists and producers though I hope over time we can get to a space where artistic ventures rise above politics. The arts are for everyone and one of the few places we can listen to and hear each other.
Washington Reporter:
You had high level figures in the Trump administration, media, and the Senate either performing with you or in attendance last night. What’s your message to them?
John Ondrasik:
Rock the Casbah!
Washington Reporter:
Not only was Senator Joni Ernst at your final show, but she actually sang on stage with you. You’ve worked closely with her about our failures in Afghanistan. What do you want to see from America now as we deal with this ongoing fallout?
John Ondrasik:
Our Afghan veterans deserve accountability and closure after we abandoned their Afghan allies and our own citizens to the Taliban. The fact that not one person was fired or disciplined after the catastrophic withdrawal that caused deaths of 13 service members and plunged 20 million women into the dark ages is outrageous. Girls can still not go to school, and we still are working evacs. There is also the fact that General Milley, General Austin, and Jake Sullivan lied to the American people about the mental acuity of the Commander and Chief. It is time for a reckoning.
Washington Reporter:
In addition to this tour, you’ve also performed at Flagstockand at the concert for Israeli hostages last year. You’ve written songs about Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Israel. How do you pick what causes to weigh in on so strongly?
John Ondrasik:
I simply prefer good over evil. If one can’t unequivocally condemn the Taliban, Putin, and Hamas, then I would argue they are accomplices in the malignancy attacking Western values and nations.
Washington Reporter:
Is there something else coming down the pipeline there?
John Ondrasik:
A 48-hour nap, and perhaps an event at the Kennedy Center supporting our Jewish friends and recognizing the hostages and their family’s a la our new version of “Superman.”
Washington Reporter:
You called out other performers like Bono, Bruce Springsteen, and Barbra Streisand at your shows—what needs to happen for your counterparts to wake up?
John Ondrasik:
If you can’t bring yourself to say “Release the Hostages,” no matter your political bent, I fear you have joined the chorus of those who stood silent in 1938. And for that there is no redemption.
Washington Reporter:
Now that your latest tour is done, what’s next for you? You mentioned during your shows that you can’t wait to get to Israel to perform Superman with Alon — but what else is next for you?
John Ondrasik:
There are a few musical projects I’m thinking about, but I have obligations to our family business and will continue to advocate for the hostage families and the voiceless. Looking forward to heading out in August with the Five for Fighting Rock band and plugging in for a change. The road is always long and winding. Have a great summer!
