Tag Archives: Ace Troubleshooter

Five Iron Frenzy Returns to Minneapolis

Five Iron Frenzy on stage
My crappy Five Iron photo. See my Storify below for much better pics.

Last night I witnessed the return of Five Iron Frenzy to the stage. The late ’90s/early ’00s ska band played their first show in Minneapolis in nearly 10 years. The band called it quits in 2003 but came back in 2011 thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $200,000 to record a new album. Since then they’ve been touring and recording said album, which is set to release in November.

Five Iron Frenzy was the favorite band of my youth, the soundtrack to my high school and college years. They’re still one of my all-time favorite bands (I say that for the sake of clarification—Petra was another favorite band of my youth; not so much anymore). I reflected on what Five Iron has meant to me before, both before and after their 2003 show in Minneapolis.

I spent my youth rocking out to Five Iron: Singing along in the car, learning to skank at concerts, laughing at their hilarity and feeling anger at injustice right along with them. I went to every concert I could, probably a dozen between Detroit and Minneapolis. I interviewed various members of the band nearly half a dozen times. I wrote a lengthy, self-indulgent article chronicling the band’s history back in 2003, which was mostly a form of personal therapy.

We’ve got some history.

So the concert last night was quite an experience. First off, I don’t go to concerts like I used to. The last concert I went to was U2, and before that I don’t even remember. Probably another U2 concert? We had to get a babysitter. When the opening band started playing I realized I’d forgotten my ear plugs. Needless to say, I was feeling old.
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The Heritage Hall Time Capsule

“What do you call yourself? / What did you call me?

“Excuse me but you don’t know me / And I sure don’t know you neither

“Who are you and where did you go? / You think you know but you, just don’t know” (“The Downfall of Western Civilization” by MxPx).

Today in chapel the administration shared with the student body the plans for the cornerstone of the new dorm that’s being built right now. They’re planning on sealing it up as a time capsule (I thought that was just a popular 80’s thing), and they took the time to show us what was being put in the time capsule. The “cornerstone committee” made the decisions, and I have to say they did a fairly decent job. Sealed in the new dorm’s cornerstone (which they admitted only serves a symbolic purpose, which makes me wonder what the point is) will be a Bible, a Bethel viewbook, a 1998-1999 Roster (with all those really bad ID pictures), a Beanie Baby (they figure when the capsule is opened they can sell it and pay for the next building project), a Caribou Coffee brochure, a scrap book, and an Abercrombie & Fitch tag. Now I understand that the committee is just taking an honest representation of the Bethel student body. You can’t blame them for being honest. But I think that’s just sad. Abercrombie & Fitch symbolizes Bethel students so well that it’s being included in a time capsule. How pathetic are we? How wrapped up in fashion and big names are we? I guess I can rejoice that I don’t own any Abercrombie & Fitch stuff myself. But we all have our classy name brands.

I’m taking off for the weekend to a farm in Wisconsin, so unfortunately there won’t be a pondering tomorrow night. But never fear, I should be back on Sunday.

“So now I just hope that the world is treating you fine / And I hope your memories are sweet as mine / Goodbye’s are hard” (“In My Dreams” by Ace Troubleshooter)

Water Balloon Attack

Okay, so there, I was, just coming back from a late night Perkins run, standing there for half a second saying goodbye to my girlfriend, and wham! A water balloon slams into my feet. Nobody’s around. Nobody’s screaming and laughing. Nothing. Just a random water balloon that rocketed out of nowhere and soaked my shoes. So we stand there for a minute, trying to figure out what’s going on. The moment we turn our backs–wham! Another one! Needless to say, when I returned to my townhouse, I ran.

“I climbed the door and shut the stairs / I said my shoes and took off my prayers / I brushed my clothes and took off my teeth / I pulled down my alarm and set my sheets / I shut off my bed and I climbed into my light / And all because she kissed me goodnight.” (Kiss Goodnight by Ace Troubleshooter)

(you all have Ben to thank for that. I wasn’t going to include it here, but he just pushed me too far. ;) )