Ivan Moody Gets Key to City After Opening Rock-Themed Gas Station

Congratulations are in order for Five Finger Death Punch frontman Ivan Moody, as he was awarded the key to the city of Cheyenne, Wyo. during the band’s July 26 concert. The ceremony was held in honor of Moody moving to the city earlier this summer and opening two businesses: Moody’s Rock Stop and Ciara Coral.

The event took place at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena, where Mayor Patrick Collins gave Moody the key to thank him for his “support of the Cheyenne community.” Per Blabbermouth, Collins continued:

We’ve never had a Cheyenne resident headline this concert, or any concert. This us, 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.

Following Collins' dedication, Moody passionately addressed the crowd.

“I grew up right down the road, in a little city called Arvada, Colo.,” he explained [via Blabbermouth]. “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.”

Further into the evening (near the end of their performance), FFDP played a cover of Bad Company’s “Bad Company”; prior to kicking it off, Moody told the audience [via Blabbermouth]: “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.”

You can watch footage and see photos from the event below.

On July 15, Moody held a “block party-style event” – as the corresponding press release put it – to commemorate his new business enterprises. It occurred in the afternoon and 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.” Plus, “a select group of fans and community members [were] chosen to attend” the aforementioned key to the city ceremony.

“I would like to use this opportunity/grand opening to introduce myself to my newfound family - the city of Cheyenne. Both of these new ventures mean so much to me and I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone!” he declared at the time.

The press release also discusses a bit more about the two businesses.

Specifically, Moody’s Rock Shop is described as “a rock & roll-based convenience store & fueling station . . . designed for everyday ‘recharging.’ The musically themed stop-and-shop . . . will also sell [his] personal line of specialized products and become 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.”

As for Ciara Coral, it’s “an intensive outpatient facility that focuses on treating addiction and mental health disorders. The facility . . . will offer 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.”

In related news, Five Finger Death Punch were recently included in a study that revealed the top rock and metal songs and artists that dominate bicycle riding playlists. Earlier this month, former drummer Jeremy Spencer – who now sings for Semi-Rotted – spoke about why he left the group in 2018, too.

Of course, you can still catch FFDP on their international tour (in support of their latest LP, AfterLife, which Loudwire included in our list of the 50 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2022). The full list of upcoming dates can be seen here and you can grab tickets here.