Five for Fighting gets a second listen from me

Don't remember where the link was I followed that landed me on the Glenn & Helen Show's website to this interview with Five For Fighting's John Ondrasik. Ok, so we find out that John is Five for Fighting and it's a sad comment on our culture and the music industry -- and also a bit amusing -- on how that name came to be and we don't just know him as John Ondrasik (like say we would a Phil Collins or a James Taylor or a Bob Zimmerman... oh... wait).

I was impressed by how personable and well-grounded this guy is. His self-assuredness, his wry assessment of fleeting success, his emphasis on his family, and the fact that he's not afraid to come out and frankly and eloquently express his world view when it is so different from everyone around him in his line of work.

I've heard "100 Years" and "Superman" and never gave them much thought. I never even knew the names of those songs, I just recognized them when I've heard them. It's a prejudice I've developed against his vocal style, because I associate it with what I call "whiner rock". That shows you where prejudice will get you. I should know better after being a music fan for... well all my life.

After listening to this interview I'm eager to listen to the rest of his stuff. I may have to move him into the Ben Folds category -- another guy I learned to like when I forced myself to get past initial impressions.

Anyway, about 12 minutes into the interview, and for about the next 6.5 minutes or so, is a particularly interesting bit of the interview that echoes almost excactly what I've kept coming back to here for the last several posts. That it's easy to rant and protest:

"... it's easy to stand up and call Bush a liar, and say war is bad under any circumstance and have have all your friends pat you on the back..."

"... it's easy to be a rebel, it's easy to stand up on a soapbox and complain and throw stones and call people names. It's much harder to offer an alternative solution or come up with some kind of thoughtful discussion -- and I see that, I think that's reflected both in music and in our leadership. And again I sometimes shake my head and I wouldn't say I'm ashamed to be a part of the music community, I just wish that there'd be a little more serious thought when we're facing such serious times."

Can I get an "Amen" from the back pew?