I found him! I found him!

I spent the morning hopping from phone to Facebook and through a number of rabbit-trail websites, cracking clues and moving forward. A scavenger hunt! And for what? For this picture, and a promise for more teasery on Monday, November 21 at 9:00pm... That's it. Again you ask, for what? I have no idea. But every once in a blue moon, you find connection with a legacy. You grow up listening to a band and growing close to the members, the fans, and the message. Every once in a while, a band becomes more than a band. The music and the people become an entity, a friend worthy of experiencing any and every thing with - the good times, bad times, and the docile times too. It becomes the grace you need when you fall down, and a dance-partner when you're on cloud-nine. And you can't help but cry like a baby when they die, because a part of you died too that day.



Five Iron Frenzy is that band. I remember laying on the floor of my parents' living room and listening to them early on, borrowing "Our Newest Album Ever" from a friend. I remember getting my first FIF CD that Christmas - "Quantity is Job #1" - and playing it on repeat for God knows how long. That's when I discovered that CDs can get worn down.

In youth, we struggle to know who we are. The sound and focus of FIF geared me to understanding myself. It may sound silly, but it's true. My identity was found in the character of a band, like when you meet a kindred spirit and realize you're not alone in an otherwise wrecked world. And when you hear them, no matter what, you know you'll be alright. They were stupid at times, and maybe ridiculous is a better word than stupid. But that was just part of it. After all, we have fun and also get serious with our friends, don't we? And I could relate to their randomness. I also related to the wisdom they offered in Christ. I was already a Christian, from a wonderful family, but FIF walked me through it to further grasp the reality of Christ and my place in His heart. At their last show, they spoke truth over their fans and friends, to carry on loving God and sharing His love with the world. "We're passing this mantel down to you," they said. "Do good things with it." And when they finished their set, they sat on the stage in humility as 3,600 fans sang hymns and prayed blessings over those kindred spirits.

That was just shy of nine years ago, and now there is a stirring in the wings. Murmurs of a return, or at least a remnant. Who knows, but that's why I care about a dumb photo of Brad as a zombie - because I (and about 10,000 other fans) will take whatever we can get of our dear old friends. So we'll see what happens November 22... or 21... or whenever they feel like it...

Thanks, Five Iron, and we'll see you soon.

"How beautiful, how vast Your love is. New forever, world without an end."