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[Five for Fighting] is John Ondrasik, a piano-pop writer from Los Angeles whose clear tenor and steady right-hand hooks gave America Town its spine.

Quiet verses, big choruses

Sharing the bill, [Edwin McCain] brings a husky, Carolina-bred voice and acoustic soul roots that turn small stories into room-wide sing-alongs. Expect a set that leans on patience and payoffs, with likely slots for Superman (It's Not Easy), 100 Years, I'll Be, and I Could Not Ask for More. The crowd trends multigenerational, with friends in neat denim and button-ups, couples on easy date nights, and a few hockey jerseys nodding to the five-minute-major name joke. You will hear people lower their voices for the first verse, then rise in tune for the big choruses rather than push to a shout.

Small details, big meaning

Trivia: the stage name 'Five for Fighting' comes from Ondrasik's rink habit, and [Edwin McCain]'s longtime sideman Craig Shields often flips from keys to sax within a song. Some shows add a compact string pad under 100 Years or a sax spotlight in I'll Be, small choices that widen the sound without bloat. For clarity, the song calls and production touches here are informed guesses based on recent patterns, not a locked script.

The Five for Fighting and Edwin McCain scene, up close

This scene feels like a friendly catch-up with the early-2000s, not a costume party.

Warm threads, louder hearts

You see soft flannels, clean denim, leather boots, and the occasional vintage radio-station tee, plus a few worn hockey caps that nod to the name. People trade stories about first cars and mixtapes while scanning the merch table for lyric tees and simple poster art. When Superman (It's Not Easy) starts, phones go up for a verse, then tuck away as the crowd sings the hook together. For I'll Be, couples sway and friends harmonize, and you can catch the sax lines echoed by folks near the rail. Between songs, the banter draws low laughs and soft claps rather than shouty call-and-response. The energy rises in clear steps across the night, with piano intros getting hush, then guitars adding grain, then full-band choruses bringing a shared release. It is an easy space to bring a friend who loves songs first, and to leave humming the lines you arrived to hear.

Why Five for Fighting and Edwin McCain land live

[Five for Fighting] usually centers the mix on bright piano and a light tenor, leaving room for rounded bass and soft snare to cushion the verses.

Songs first, then shine

He sometimes opens 100 Years alone at the keys and brings the band in halfway, which makes the last chorus feel wider without just turning up. On guitar-led tunes, tight downstrokes keep the pulse steady while small chord changes color the edges. [Edwin McCain]'s grainy voice sits over strummed acoustics, with sax and keys shading phrases and a rhythm section that chooses groove over flash. He often stretches the bridge of I'll Be so the room can breathe, then snaps back to the hook clean and strong. Harmony singers tuck in close, giving choruses lift while staying out of the piano's path. Lighting tends toward warm ambers and cool blues that flag dynamics and leave faces readable. A quiet but telling detail is how piano and vocal are voiced midrange rather than boomy, keeping lyrics front and center.

Kindred Roads: Five for Fighting neighbors

Fans of Train will hear the same bright piano hooks and earnest mid-tempo lift that invite full-voice choruses.

Nearby sounds, same heart

If Gavin DeGraw is your lane, the blend of piano soul, conversational lyrics, and crisp backbeat lines up. Crowds who chase late-90s to 2000s radio rock will feel at home with Matchbox Twenty, where clean guitars meet adult point-of-view writing and polished dynamics. Early supporters of Hootie & the Blowfish will recognize Southeastern road warmth and a bar-band ease that also suits Edwin McCain's catalog. All of these artists favor songs that breathe on stage over heavy effects, so the focus stays on melody and voice. They also draw mixed-age rooms that sing politely, then loud, and head home humming the piano lines. If that arc fits your taste, this pairing sits squarely in your comfort zone.