originally published: 04/16/2026
(NEWTON, NJ) -- Grammy® nominated, platinum-selling artist, Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) will bring his ever popular Five For Fighting String Quartet Tour back out on the road this September and October. There are several shows coming to the local area including two in New Jersey: Sunday, September 20 at The Newton Theatre and Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at The Vogel in Red Bank.
The tour features top Broadway musicians including Tony-Award winning concertmaster and co-orchestrator of Moulin Rouge! The Musical Katie Kresek (Violin), Melissa Tong (Violin), who toured with Post Malone in 2023, and Broadway's Chris Cardona (Viola) and Peter Sachon (Cello). The unique nature of the shows allows Ondrasik to go behind the music and tell stories while the format allows for a deeper dive into the catalog, while there is always a surprise or two in store. Opening the shows again this year will be folk rock duo Lace & Lee, who will be bringing their ethereal vocals and storytelling with a twist of humor and bard-like prose. The duo opened for the tour in 2025.
"I'm excited to be returning to the beautiful Northeast for another Five for Fighting with String Quartet Tour this fall," says Ondrasik. "We look forward to sharing new songs, stories, and surprises along with the core tunes and special arrangements from my catalogue. The amazing Lace and Lee will be opening for us again and we all look forward to seeing Five For Fighting fans, old and new, in this intimate setting."
To date, Five For Fighting, has released six studio albums, including the platinum certified America Town and The Battle for Everything; and the top 10 charting Two Lights, along with an EP and live albums. Ondrasik has penned major hits, including the chart-topping "100 Years," "The Riddle," "Chances," "World," and "Easy Tonight," which have earned tens of millions of streams and place him as a top 10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s.
The reflective "100 Years" has joined "Superman (It's Not Easy)" as part of the American Songbook and continues to stand the test of time at weddings, birthdays, graduations, memorials, and many a home video. Five For Fighting's music has also been featured in more than 350 films, television shows, and commercials, including the Oscar-winning The Blind Side, Hawaii Five-O, The Sopranos and the CBS drama, Code Black.
Ondrasik, who's passion for supporting humanitarian efforts and freedom has been a longstanding commitment for the artist. Recently, he's been writing songs about key events around the world from a humanistic perspective including "OK (We Are Not Ok)" in response to the October 7th Hamas attacks in Israel, while addressing the cultural aftermath both in America and around the world. On April 13 Ondrasik performed in Tel Aviv hours before Iran's missile attack on Israel. Now, "Superman (It's Not Easy)," takes on new meaning as a tribute to Alon Ohel, a 24-year-old hostage released by Hamas. Ondrasik performed alongside Alon's brother Ronen, his mother Idit Ohel, and a community of friends who gathered in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv. Ondrasik's revised lyrics turn pain into resilience.
Ondrasik has also been longtime supporter of music education. Once again, Ondrasik has teamed up with Let Music Fill My World, a privately funded non-profit launched by Tullman Family Office. They announced the return of the Music Matters Challenge, a nationwide competition aimed at rekindling the transformative power of music education in schools across the country. The Music Matters Challenge offers a chance for participants to compete for prizes while making a lasting impact through the power of music. The finalists will be announced later this year.
Before the Spring Quartet Tour, catch the Five For Fighting rock band on tour with Edwin McCain for a summer co-headline tour, bringing two of the most enduring catalogs to theaters and amphitheaters across the U.S. this June.
FIVE FOR FIGHTING OCTOBER STRING QUARTET TOUR DATES:
Sat, September 19 in Clayton, NY at Clayton Opera House
Sun, September 20 in Newton, NJ at The Newton Theatre
Tue, September 22 in Rutland, VT at Paramount Theatre
Thur, September 24 in Portsmouth, NH at The Music Hall
Fri, September 25 in Concord, NH at Capitol Center for the Arts Bank of New Hampshire Stage
Sat, September 26 in Stowe, VT at Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center
Sun, September 27 in Natick, MA at The Center for Arts in Natick
Tue, September 29 in Fall River, MA at Narrows Center for the Arts
Thur, October 1 in Gardiner, ME at Johnson Hall Opera House
Fri, October 2 in Brownfield, ME at Stone Mountain Arts Center
Sat, October 3 in Rockport, MA at Shalin Liu Performance Center
Sun, October 4 in Hartford, CT at Infinity Hall Hartford
Tue, October 6 in Troy, NY at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Thur, October 8 in Tarrytown, NY at Tarrytown Music Hall
Fri, October 9 in Riverhead, NY at The Suffolk Theater
Sat, October 10 in Port Washington, NY at Landmark on Main Street
Sun, October 11 in New York, NY at City Winery - Pier 57
Tue, October 13 in Red Bank, NJ at Count Basie Center for the Arts - The Vogel
Wed, October 14 in Fairfield, CT at Sacred Heart Community Theatre
Fri, October 16 in York, PA at Appell Center for the Performing Arts
Sat, October 17 in Sellersville, PA at Sellersville Theater
Sun, October 18 in Annapolis, MD at Rams Head On Stage
Tue, October 20 in Alexandria, VA at The Birchmere
Wed, October 21 in Richmond, VA at Tin Pan
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