ALEXANDRIA, VA-Grammy® nominated, platinum-selling Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) is on the road playing a series of special string quartet shows (all remaining dates below) tickets are on sale HERE. Ondrasik is joined by top musicians including Tony-Award winning concertmaster and co-orchestrator of Moulin Rouge! The Musical Katie Kresek (Violin), Melissa Tong (Violin), who toured with Post Malone in 2023, and Broadway’s Chris Cardona (Viola) and Peter Sachon (Cello). The unique nature of the shows allows Ondrasik to go behind the music and tell stories while the format allows for a deeper dive into the catalog, while there is always a surprise or two in store.
Five For Fighting will also be headlining rock shows this August (dates below) with special guest Vertical Horizon. Tickets are on sale now HERE. Ondrasik will bring along his band, drummer Randy Cooke (Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart), bassist John Button (Sheryl Crow, The Who, Shakira), 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 hits.
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. Recently, he’s been writing non-political songs about key events around the world from a humanistic perspective including “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. On April 13 Ondrasik performed in Tel Aviv hours before Iran’s missile attack on Israel. Now, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” takes on new meaning as a tribute to Alon Ohel, a 24-year-old hostage still held by Hamas. Ondrasik performed alongside Alon’s brother Ronen, his mother Idit Ohel, and a community of friends who gathered in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv. Ondrasik’s revised lyrics turn pain into resilience. Watch the video HERE. Ondrasik’s revised lyrics turn pain into resilience:
Original Lyric: “Find a way to lie, ’bout a home I’ll never see”
New Lyric: “Find a way to fly to a home I will soon see”
“The strength and perseverance of our hostage families, while enduring over seventeen months of unimaginable torment and devastation, often seems Superhuman,” says Ondrasik. “I am honored to collaborate with current hostage Alon Ohel’s family and friends with this new version of “Superman” to support Alon and all hostages and their families. May they be home soon.”
Ondrasik is also a longtime supporter of music education. He’s teamed up with Let Music Fill My World again this year, a privately funded nonprofit launched by Tullman Community Ventures. They announced the return of the Music Matters Challenge, a nationwide competition aimed at rekindling the transformative power of music education in schools across the country. Running through the end of May, the Challenge offers a chance for participants to compete for prizes while making a lasting impact through the power of music.
REMAINING FIVE FOR FIGHTING STRING QUARTET TOUR DATES:
Wed 5/14 in Newberry, SC at Newberry Opera House
Sat 5/17 in Pittsburgh, PA at City Winery Pittsburgh
Mon 5/19 in Annapolis, MD at Rams Head On Stage
Tue 5/20 in Alexandria, VA at The Birchmere
FIVE FOR FIGHTING WITH VERTICAL HORIZON TOUR DATES:
August 13, 2025 in Columbus, OH at TempleLive at the Columbus Athenaeum
August 14, 2025 in St. Charles, IL at The Arcada Theatre
August 16, 2025 in Oklahoma City, OK at Scissortail Park (Free Show)
August 17, 2025 in Dallas, TX at Bomb Factory
August 19, 2025 in Arvada, CO at Arvada Center Summer Concert Series
August 20, 2025 in Grand Junction, CO at Avalon Theatre
August 22, 2025 in Salt Lake City, UT at The Union
August 23, 2025 in Boise, ID at Knitting Factory Concert House
August 24, 2025 in Spokane, WA at Knitting Factory Concert House
FIVE FOR FIGHTING:
Website | Instagram | Facebook
SEE ALSO: Becoming Led Zeppelin’ Is One Wild Ride
