June 17-24, 2004

musicpicks

Five for Fighting

ROCK/POP

It's hard to know if Five for Fighting — the nom de disque of L.A.-based singer-songwriter John Ondrasik — would have languished in semi-obscurity forever were it not for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. That's when Ondrasik's delicate and soon-to-be-overplayed piano ballad, "Superman (It's Not Easy)," became an anthem of loss and survival in those jittery first weeks.

"That it's somehow part of American culture now is too overwhelming to even describe," the 38-year-old Ondrasik says, adding that performing the song at the live telecast Concert for New York City remains the "most important and emotional thing [he's] ever done."

And "Superman" became super important to Ondrasik's career, too: "It gave me a shot to do something — make a real record with a real budget" — his follow-up effort, The Battle for Everything (Aware/Columbia). With its many introspective, somber ballads, the CD hardly breaks new ground, but is "a little more eclectic, a little less obvious [for] radio, and a little more vibey," he says. "The songs are not only about appeasement and living in a post 9/11 world, but also about the more personal and intimate challenges in our daily loves."

Thu., June 17, 8 p.m., $20-$22, with Glen Phillips, The TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011.

—Nicole Pensiero