Five Star Iris
Encyclopedia
Five Star Iris is an American
alternative rock
band formed in Atlanta
Georgia
.
's in New York one night and witnessing a drunk tumbling to the floor.
Another Man Down toured regionally, received some regional radio play with the holiday hit 'The Dreydl Song' and released three records, but never got to the next level. Some of the tracks on the third album (2001's 'Dangerous And Close') were produced by Ed Roland
of Collective Soul
.
Alan eventually met up with Dennis Matkosky and Dexter Green. Dexter wasn't producing anyone at the time, but he wanted to produce what became Five Star Iris. Both Alan and Dexter had the same idea of wanting to come up with a sound rather than just a record. Once the band started recording their new music, they decided they needed a new name as well. The band decided on Highwire but soon discovered a band in Buffalo, NY had been using the name for some time. They eventually decided on Five Star Iris, a name suggested by Alan’s wife.
The 2006 Five Star Iris album was co-produced with Sylvia Massy Shivy (Tool
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
) and Rich Veltrop (Tom Petty
) with additional production by Dexter Green (Collective Soul
). The album also includes a pair of songs Schaefer co-wrote with Collective Soul's Ed Roland; the band has also toured with Collective Soul.
After meeting with U.S. military representatives, the group embarked on a tour of military bases throughout the Middle East
as part of the Armed Forces Entertainment
program. Because the group was forbidden from selling physical albums on this tour, they saw a significant increase in the amount of traffic to their iTunes
store as a result.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
History
In 1997, lead singer Alan Schaefer and his bass playing brother Robert put together the band Groundscore with drummer Dan Fishman. They became Another Man Down after coming out of CBGBCBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
's in New York one night and witnessing a drunk tumbling to the floor.
Another Man Down toured regionally, received some regional radio play with the holiday hit 'The Dreydl Song' and released three records, but never got to the next level. Some of the tracks on the third album (2001's 'Dangerous And Close') were produced by Ed Roland
Ed Roland
Edgar Eugene Roland III was born August 3, 1963 in Stockbridge, Georgia. He is an American musician and vocalist of the alternative rock band Collective Soul. He is the primary songwriter and also contributes guitars, keyboards, producing, and engineering....
of Collective Soul
Collective Soul
Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...
.
Alan eventually met up with Dennis Matkosky and Dexter Green. Dexter wasn't producing anyone at the time, but he wanted to produce what became Five Star Iris. Both Alan and Dexter had the same idea of wanting to come up with a sound rather than just a record. Once the band started recording their new music, they decided they needed a new name as well. The band decided on Highwire but soon discovered a band in Buffalo, NY had been using the name for some time. They eventually decided on Five Star Iris, a name suggested by Alan’s wife.
The 2006 Five Star Iris album was co-produced with Sylvia Massy Shivy (Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
) and Rich Veltrop (Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
) with additional production by Dexter Green (Collective Soul
Collective Soul
Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...
). The album also includes a pair of songs Schaefer co-wrote with Collective Soul's Ed Roland; the band has also toured with Collective Soul.
After meeting with U.S. military representatives, the group embarked on a tour of military bases throughout the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
as part of the Armed Forces Entertainment
Armed Forces Entertainment
Armed Forces Entertainment is the official United States Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel overseas. Armed Forces Entertainment hosts over 1,200 shows around the world each year, reaching over 500,000 personnel at 355 military installations...
program. Because the group was forbidden from selling physical albums on this tour, they saw a significant increase in the amount of traffic to their iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
store as a result.
Tours
- Armed Forces EntertainmentArmed Forces EntertainmentArmed Forces Entertainment is the official United States Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel overseas. Armed Forces Entertainment hosts over 1,200 shows around the world each year, reaching over 500,000 personnel at 355 military installations...
Tour (Jul 2004): Spain, Sicily and Italy - Armed Forces EntertainmentArmed Forces EntertainmentArmed Forces Entertainment is the official United States Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel overseas. Armed Forces Entertainment hosts over 1,200 shows around the world each year, reaching over 500,000 personnel at 355 military installations...
Tour (Sep 2004): Iceland, Sicily and Italy - Armed Forces EntertainmentArmed Forces EntertainmentArmed Forces Entertainment is the official United States Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel overseas. Armed Forces Entertainment hosts over 1,200 shows around the world each year, reaching over 500,000 personnel at 355 military installations...
Tour (Jun/Jul 2007): Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Djibouti
Discography
- Five Star Iris EP (2003, Hooptyville Records)
- Five Star Iris (October 5, 2006, Hooptyville Records)
- Live Fools (December 4, 2007, Hooptyville Records)
- B-Sides the Point EP (2008, Hooptyville Records)
Awards
- The song "Let It All Out" won the 2005 United Kingdom Songwriting Contest.
- The song "Is There Something I Can Do" was a semi-finalist in the 2005 International Songwriting Contest.