John Ondrasik concert
Gypsy Tea Room-April 21

John Ondrasik Redeems the Time at Gypsy Tea Room with His “100 Years”


Songwriting is the thing with John Ondrasik.  He’s a writer at heart.  When asked what he’d really like to accomplish in life, he replies “be a great fiction writer”.

This desire was evident at his April 21 concert at Gypsy Tearoom.  Sans the band, Five for Fighting, John played an acoustical set, accompanied by a guitarist/mandolin player, his own guitar and  his piano.  He loved interacting with the crowd in the intimate setting and said  this was what made it all worthwhile.  The audience, spanning twenty somethings to middle agers, seemed appreciative.    When he launched into “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” the crowd sang along.  Superman is Five For Fighting’s top forty hit from their second CD Easy Tonight.

Currently Ondrasik is experiencing  a lot of airplay  with his poignant ballad about  the passage of time, “100 Years”, from the band’s most recent release on Columbia, The Battle for Everything.  Ondrasik said having his two children, two and four, forced him to acknowledge his own mortality enabling him to write this song. Although not bound for number one status, (Ondrasik says the song has “tanked”) it is on everyone’s lips.


I’m 33 for a moment
Still the man but you see I’m a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind

I’m 45 for a moment]
The sea is high
And I’m  heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life

15…there’s still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose yourself
Within a morning star

15…I’m all right with you
15…there’s never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live…

Ondrasik, 37, says he has gone to about  15 cities he truly loves for this acoustic tour. He says touring right now with two small children  and a wife at home is the hardest part, however he will hit the road again this summer with Five For Fighting.
The  reality is that John Ondrasik  is Five For Fighting.  Without his songwriting talent and vocals there would be no band.Some great cuts from The Battle for Everything  which he performed last Wednesday at the Tearoom include,  “Angels and Girlfriends”, “Dying”, “The Devil in the Wishing Well” , his kids’ favorite , “Disneyland” and the aforementioned “100 Years”.  Off his previous recordings, “Superman(It’s Not Easy)”, and “Labella”, a real crowd pleaser.  The folks in the audience obviously owned this guy’s CD’s.  One couple  we talked to drove into Dallas from Houston to hear Ondrasik .  When asked why they came so far, they cited  his lyrics and how they were touched by them.  Ondrasik, himself, said he had received lots of letters from fans about “100 Years”.

With his Art Garfunkel hair and a scarf around his neck, Ondrasik is reminiscent of so many singer/songwriters from the 60’s—lots of heart, and serious about their craft.

This UCLA grad is also a hockey fan.  Catch his regular column in Inside Hockey at www.insidehockey.com

Susan Moore
dallasmusic.com