FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH frontman Ivan Moody was presented with the key to the city during the band’s concert this past Wednesday (July 26) in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The 43-year-old singer, who made Cheyenne his home in June this year, received the key from Cheyenne mayor Patrick Collins, joined FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH on stage at the Cheyenne Frontier Days festival. Collins presented the key to Ivan for his “support of the Cheyenne community.” (Photo credit: Cliff Cox)
Collins said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We’ve never had a Cheyenne resident headline this concert, or any concert. That is, until today.
“I wanted to give Ivan an honor for some of the things he does… What I love about Ivan Moody is he moved to Cheyenne and he’s telling his story about sobriety and mental health, and he’s doing something about it. He’s opening a treatment center for people, and his mission is to find those people who are wandering, not sure where they’re going and help them find that sobriety and mental health. And so tonight I wanna give Ivan Moody the key to the city and thank him for his work and what he’s doing for this great city.”
In accepting the honor from Collins, Moody told the crowd in part: “I grew up right down the road in a little city called Arvada, Colorado. And I watched my city piece by piece get bought and sold, and I’ve gotta be honest with you, when I go back there, I don’t even recognize certain parts. But when I come up here to Cheyenne, I see one of the last standing true pieces of Americana in this country.”
Later in the show, before launching into a cover of BAD COMPANY‘s “Bad Company” with his FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bandmates, Moody told the audience: “The greatest part about Cheyenne? There’s no division. And at a FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH show, we share that fucking concept. Because here, there is no left, and there is no right. Here, at a FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH show, there is only bad company.”
On July 15, Moody celebrated the opening of his new Cheyenne businesses at a special block party-style event at his Moody’s Rock Stop, described as a rock and roll-based convenience store and fueling station which is designed for everyday “recharging.” The celebration featured live music, food trucks, and chances to win free tickets to FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH‘s show with PAPA ROACH at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
A musically themed stop-and-shop, Moody’s Rock Stop, located at 901 W. Pershing Blvd., also sells the rock star’s personal line of specialized products and is the only gas station in the military town to offer a discount to current and former armed service members, for which Ivan is a proud advocate for.
Ciara Coral, which also opened on July 15, is an intensive outpatient facility that focuses on treating addiction and mental health disorders. The facility is located at 433 E. 19th St. #2 and offers personalized treatment plans for each individual. Ivan has been open about his struggles with addiction and mental health and hopes to help others by opening this facility.
Moody gave a quick speech from the stage at the July 15 event, explaining that he first came to Cheyenne a few years ago when he was headed to Tennessee from Las Vegas to look for a place to live when a storm hit.
“I was going halfway down [Interstate] 80 and, unknowing to me, you guys have 70–80 miles fucking wind gusts, so I had to stop for the night and went to Terry Bison Ranch,” he said.
After spending two weeks in Cheyenne, he said he made a decision to relocate to the city.
“I’ll tell you, man, I grew up in Colorado right down the street, and when I go back these days I don’t see the same city I used to,” he said. “Lucky for me, it’s God’s will that I ended up here with all of you.”
This past May and June, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH canceled a number of European shows in order to allow Moody to fully recover from his recent hernia surgery.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH had been touring in support of its latest album, 2022’s “AfterLife”. Upon its release last August, “AfterLife” immediately shot to the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Top 100 Album, the Rock and Metal charts in the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany (where it also debuted at No. 3 on the official album chart),Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Poland. “AfterLife” also debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Rock and Metal charts and No. 2 on the iTunes Top 100 charts in the U.K., France, Netherlands, Sweden and Hungary. Additionally, “AfterLife” hit Top 10 on the iTunes Top 100 in Italy, Spain, Ireland and Belgium. It entered as No. 1 Rock Album on the UK Official Rock and Metal Album charts and debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200. Most notably, with “AfterLife” the band broke the record for most No. 1 albums in the history of Billboard‘s Hard Rock chart.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has amassed 28 top 10 hit singles and 15 No. 1 singles. Having become one of the most recognizable names in music, 5FDP frequently play all major festivals and sell out arenas around the world. Since their debut album, “The Way Of The Fist”, came out in 2007, the band has released eight consecutive albums, seven of which were certified gold or platinum by the RIAA, as well as two chart-topping greatest-hits albums. In addition, 5FDP has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed only upon Elvis Presley before them.
Photo credit (all images above and below): Cliff Cox
