About
Denver's own Johnny 5 built his reputation as the turntablist and co-founder of Flobots, a genre-blending collective that crashed onto the scene in the mid-2000s with a sound that defied easy categorization. Alongside vocalist Jonny 5 — born Jamie Laurie — the group fused hip-hop, rock, and punk sensibilities into something that felt genuinely urgent and politically charged. If you've ever wondered what Rage Against the Machine might sound like with a viola in the mix, Flobots gave you a pretty compelling answer.
The band's 2008 major label debut Fight with Tools was the breakout moment, delivering the inescapable single Handlebars, a deceptively catchy track that escalated from childlike wonder to chilling commentary on power and corruption. That song had legs, cracking mainstream radio while still resonating with the activist crowd. Subsequent albums like Survival Story and The Circle in the Square kept the socially conscious DNA intact, even as the band refined their sound.
What made Johnny 5 and the Flobots stand out in the late-2000s rock landscape was their refusal to separate music from message. They weren't posturing — community organizing and grassroots activism were genuinely baked into the band's identity. For rock fans who like their music with a side of substance, Flobots remain an underappreciated gem from that era.
