Home turf: the Family Way
Words by Kristin Harmel
Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik on LA with the kids.
You know Five for Fighting’s hit songs— “100 Years,” which spent most of 2004 in the Billboard Top 10, and “Superman,” which was a #1 record around the world in 2001 and became an unofficial anthem after September 11. But you may not know that Five for Fighting is just one man: musician John Ondrasik. the LA-based singer/songwriter released his debut album, Message for Albert, in 1997, and followed it up with two chart-topping releases, “America Town” in 2000 and “the Battle for Everyth ing” in 2003.
Ondrasik is now back in the studio working on a new album, which is due out in early fall. He’s enjoying a part-time gig as a sportswriter for insidehockey.com and his role as a soccer coach to his son’s team. When he’s not recording, writing or coaching, he spends time with his kids and exploring LA.
the Los Angeles area is a perfect, family-friendly location, says Ondrasik, who lives in Encino with his wife, Carla, and his kids, Johnny, 6, and Olivia, 4.
“the nice th ing about living here is that you can ski on Friday, surf on Saturday and go to the zoo on Sunday before you catch the Lakers game,” says Ondrasik, who spends the majority of his free time out and about with his wife and kids. “Anyth ing is with in reach. With the weather in California, the options are endless. Whatever you wake up and feel like doing, you can do.” Here are a few of Ondrasik’s favorite th ings to do in the LA area.
Where do you like to eat with your family?
“My kids have their favorites. My daughter’s is called Yamato (17200 Ventura Blvd, Encino, 818-905-9920). It’s a Japanese barbecue restaurant where the chef cooks in front of you. they love the show, and they make a good Shirley Temple there too. And in the Ondrasik family tradition, my son can live off In-N-Out burgers like his dad and his grandfather (www.in-n-out.com). It makes a dad proud that he’s carrying on that tradition! the kids would go every night if we would take them.”
What’s your favorite place to take the kids for fun?
“We go to Disneyland a lot, four or five times a year. My daughter is a little Disney princess so she goes as Aurora, Snow White or Ariel. My son discovered the Matterhorn… th irteen times he discovered it—to my chiropractor’s displeasure. Oh, and step away from the teacups! I can’t do it anymore! It’s great to go with my kids to Disneyland—sort of like rekindling my own childhood.”
What’s the best place to take your kids if you want to get outdoors?
“the beaches are awesome. there are so many around here: Malibu, Laguna and Santa Barbara are our favorites. there’s also the Santa Barbara Zoo that’s not too far— about 90 miles from downtown LA. But with the weather we have here, you just have to step into the front yard and a soccer jam will break out. And of course we have to do a little mini golf on the weekends.”
How about family-friendly road trips from LA?
“LEGOLAND is only an hour from LA, which is great for young kids (1 Legoland Drive, Carlsbad, 760-918-5346, www.legoland.com). Everyth ing is made out of Legos, and they have rollercoasters and rides. You can build cars out of Legos and you race them. My son would stay 10 hours there if I let him.”
How about if you need some inspiration to write?
“Not to be too corny, but my inspiration, well, they wake me up every morning. At the moment, I’m definitely at that stage where my kids really inspire me. But there are times when I take a writing trip up to Lake Tahoe [eight hours’ drive from LA]. the drive is gorgeous. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to clear their mind. I always go up there to wrap up my record.”
How about a night with out the kids: Do you and your wife have a favorite date place?
“For our dream date nights we go to a place called Fins in the West Valley (23504 Calabasas Rd, Calabasas, 818-223-3467). they serve great fish and have a patio in the back overlooking a little creek. It’s just nice.”
What if you want to relax with the guys?
“For slimy rock and rollers we like some fine cuisine, believe it or not. With the guys I play music with , we go to the Out Take Café in Studio City (12159 Ventura Blvd, 818-760-1111). It’s kind of hidden. there’s a great chef and the chicken piccata there is amazing. We also go to a great little English pub called the Crown & Anchor Pub (2891 E th ousand Oaks Blvd, th ousand Oaks, 805-497-0070). they serve the best fish and chips I’ve found in southern California.
“I also have to mention the Los Angeles Kings. this is a great city for sports. You can take in a hockey game; we have the Angels and Dodgers for baseball fans. And if you want to see Kobe go for 100 points, you can check out the Lakers at the Staples Center (1111 S Figueroa Street, 213-742-7340, www.staplescenter.com).”
Finally, we have to ask: If you’re just one guy, why do you call yourself Five for Fighting?
“I’m a big sports fan. ‘Five for fighting’ is a hockey term: You get five minutes in the penalty box for fighting in the NHL. I th ought the name symbolized my experience getting punched in the nose in the music business.”