These guys aren’t really “local” any more, but they did gain their fame and a national and even international following – thanks to the digital age – right here in Columbus at Ohio State University. The band is O.A.R. www.ofarevolution.com/
When someone says, “Yeah, I know oar,” it’s a safe bet they don’t know much about the group. The band did not choose to be named after a paddle. It’s pronounced O A R and stands for “Of A Revolution,” a phrase in a short story called “The Wanderer” (also the title of the group’s first CD put out when they were in high school in Rockville, Md.) written by front man Mark Roberge.
The band kicks out a unique mix of rock, folk and reggae spiced with a dash of ska – a form they call island-vibe roots rock. Their shows always include a lot of improvisational jamming and they are sometimes labeled as a “Jam Band.” Their lyrics lean towards the glass-half-full crowd, with songs of love, growth and unification. They’ve produced eight CDs and are constantly on tour, usually stopping in Columbus a couple of times a year.
O.A.R. came to life after the majority of the band – singer/guitarist Roberge, guitarist Richard On, drummer Chris Culos, bassist Benj Gershman – all landed at OSU. Jerry DePizzo, a Columbus saxophone player, hooked up with the guys at school. They added DePizzo to the group and soon their popularity snowballed, thanks to the Internet.
The band encouraged fans to tape their concerts, as long as the music wasn't being sold, and by 2000 a network of O.A.R. music was zipping through cyberspace. Groupies traded the tunes across the country. A band message board bloomed and more popped up later, attracting thousands of users from all over the world. See www.oar.yuku.com/ or www.oarfans.com/
The group has played with some heavy musical hitters, including Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow and Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of The Dead. They’ve been on Letterman and Conan O’Brien’s show.
Their CDs and their live shows are energy-filled and infectious. It’s likely we’ll be hearing more great things about this band down the road. I’m interested in anyone else’s review of this group or perhaps a speical OAR moment.
4 comments:
Truth be told I haven't heard of O A R. But then again, I'm not in the music scne at all, so its great to have blogs like these about music (specially if they are local) that I haven't heard before. I think you should keep putting more posts, maybe even link some of the songs/video of bands. Other stuff you could do is to do reviews of local places, or even your own experiences in them. Its good material so keep at it.
Thanks for writing about this! I can't tell you how many times I've heard some jackass going on and on about "oar", probably as many times as I've heard "...a crazy game of poker". I'm not a big O.A.R. fan, but it's good to see a band that came out of Columbus, got big, and still comes back!
I really like O.A.R and i find that this blog is really going to be interesting I can't wait to see more on here from you!!
O.A.R. is a shitty washed up band from the late 90's. They are a a blend of frat rock and "ska" that haven't developed their sound or career since 1999. Crazy game of poker has folded.
It would be nice to read about current bands on this blog. I would love to hear your insight on them instead. Keep up the blogging.
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