Five Iron Frenzy

Item: The End Is Here
Author: Olin Jenkins

The End Is Here

(2003)

Reviewed by Olin Jenkins

Discogs Apple Music

Label 5 Minute WalkThe Phantom Tollbooth2004

alternative rock punk ska ska punk

There's no doubt that those who enjoy Five Iron Frenzy are disappointed and perhaps saddened that the end is here, as of November 29, 2003, FIF's final concert at the Fillmore in its home town of Denver, Colorado. Okay, I'll cut to the chase. There's a recording of this concert, plus the final studio album (The End is Near)--previously available only in mail order from the website--put together and entitled The End is Here. It's excellent. You can skip to the next review.

No! No! Wait! That was the best Reese Roper joke impression one can do in a written venue (Roper jokes about bands who do "their best song last," and therefore, FIF plays its "best" song and tells the audience they can go home), and this review also comes with one homework assignment. To anyone who says, "You Christians don't have any (or "little") sense of humor," please direct them to Five Iron Frenzy, and The End is Here is an excellent starting point. See? There's a lot more to The End is Here than the end. And I'm sure that's exactly how Five Iron wants it, so let's talk about the record!

Yes, yes, humor is an excellent and integral part of FIF, but so is high-energy ska music, impeccably sharp performances, and varied and well-balanced sets of lyrics. With All the Hype and Electric Boogaloo, I was concerned that the band didn't have quite the same glue it did with Upbeats and Beatdowns or our newest album ever!, but I smiled from the first note of "Cannonball" and didn't quit through the duration of both CDs. Not only is this project a must for anyone who loves Five Iron Frenzy, The End is Here is for anyone who has ever HEARD of Five Iron Frenzy. I will easily put it right up there with my aforementioned favorite albums, and as much as I enjoy Proof That the Youth Are Revolting, this live recording is the answer to a FIF fan's dream concert that, on the heels of the release of the studio The End is Near, includes all your FIF favorites (whatever's missing is included in a nine-minute medley).

Let me switch to second person for a sec. Okay, you're a diehard FIF fan and already have The End is Near, and since you're a diehard fan, you know you need that CD again, because of all the bonuses! I'll bet FIF put just about everything from the Fillmore concert on both CDs. Both CDs? Five Iron is well known for "the hidden track." After the bonus track of the studio side, there is approximately 30 minutes of dialog, jokes, quips, thanks and goodbyes from the band's final concert. There's plenty of the same on "the hidden track" of the live The End is Near.

The End is Near studio portion runs at a fast and frenetic pace, with the slowest entries, "Wizard Needs Food, Badly" and "Farewell to Arms," which walk at about the speed of "Second Season" from our newest album ever!, and reggae-flavored "See the Flames Begin to Crawl." There are instant classics here, namely aforementioned "Cannonball" and "See the Flames," as well as a re-writing of "Every New Day," called "On Distant Shores." Detractors of FIF often note that the band's lyrics--most written by Roper--are autobiographical (most visible in "At Least I'm Not Like All Those Other Old Guys," "So Far, So Bad," and "That's How the Story Ends"), but Roper explains during the live portion of the recording that FIF wraps things up. Finally, there are sharp yet not biting lyrics on this studio project (compare "Farewell to Arms" to "Four-Fifty-One" from All the Hype That Money Can Buy).

The packaging is excellent--and fun--as well. The studio End is Near portion has full libretto, credits, and really spiffy TenNapel artwork (including the "death" and "resurrection" of the FIF monster bunny). The live End is Here pull-out poster does not have liner notes; one side is photos of the band, and the other side is photos of the audience.

Over its eight years, FIF kept its character, identity and purpose intact and never really swayed off course. Get your skanking shoes out for The End is Here (both CDs), and enjoy! FIF ends this project aptly, with "Every New Day," the audience singing "Amazing Grace." Finally, Roper says, "This might seem stupid, but it's snowing outside, so I'm gonna sing this song"--"Silent Night," with the audience chiming in. Fitting, beautiful and wonderful. "Game over"?

5 tocks