Aug 14
OCEANFRONT CONCERT SERIES: FIVE FOR FIGHTING WITH RED STAPLER
Wednesday, August 14 | 7 p.m.
24th Street Park
FREE and open to the public
Get ready for hot summer nights with the Oceanfront Concert Series at Virginia Beach, a free music extravaganza taking place in the parks along the iconic Virginia Beach Boardwalk. This series brings fans together to revel in the magic of live music against the backdrop of the Atlantic oceanfront.
Spanning a diverse range of musical genres, the Oceanfront Concert Series caters to various tastes, offering an eclectic lineup that resonates with music enthusiasts of all ages.
Five For Fighting
The only way for a story to progress is to turn the page. John Ondrasik — the songwriter and performer known as the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, Five For Fighting — knows this well. In the two decades since his first major single, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” hit the stratosphere, the artist has both evolved and come back ’round full circle. Creativity, if nothing else, is paradoxical.
To date, Five For Fighting, has released six studio LPs, 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.
Most recently, his song with the biggest sticking power is the powerful, “Blood on My Hands,” a protest song that takes a non-political, moral stance against the 2021 United States chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Ondrasik notes, “There has been a tradition of musicians speaking truth to power. In the current tribal culture, our freedom of expression has never been more critical.”
Throughout his multi-decade career Ondrasik has been involved in multiple charity efforts. Along with supporting the troops via multiple USO tours, Ondrasik created “The CD For the Troops” project with song and comedy compilations featuring artists like Billy Joel, Melissa Ethridge, Chris Rock, and others, gifting more than one million CDs to veterans and military families. John has also been deeply involved with the ALS charity “Augie’s Quest.”
What motivates him musically now? He wants to promote dialogue. He’s set to speak his mind. In song, with the piano.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!
Allowed:
• Beach Blanket, towel, or beach chair (without a foot rest or canopy)
• Small Cooler
• Outside Food and Drink (no alcohol)
• Re-entry with Hand Stamp
• Strollers
Prohibited:
• Alcohol
• Open containers of any kind
• Glass containers
• Bicycles
• Pets (except certified service animals)
• Professional Camera/Video Equipment
• Umbrellas