O.A.R.
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O.A.R. is an American rock band consisting of Marc Roberge (lead vocals & guitar), Chris Culos (drums), Richard On (lead guitar), Benj Gershman (bass), and Jerry DePizzo (saxophone and guitar). Due to massive online distribution over campus networks, the band has become a college hit, with many songs relating to the bandmembers' personal lives at Ohio State University.
Background
O.A.R. was founded in 1996, by Marc Roberge and Chris Culos, who then, while attending the summer session of Alexander Muss High School in Israel, recruited Richard On and Benj Gershman. The four of them graduated from Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland then moved to Columbus, Ohio to attend The Ohio State University, where they met Jerry DePizzo after their first CD The Wanderer had already been released. Without any formal marketing or advertising plans, news about songs of theirs such as That Was a Crazy Game of Poker, City on Down and Night Shift spread by word of mouth alone. The band played as many shows as they could despite the price, extending from the fraternities and sororities of Ohio State through any audiences that cared to take them on. This exposure paid off. Their third album Risen debuted at #11 on the Billboard top internet sales chart. The following year in 2002, their fourth album Any Time Now debuted at #156 on the Billboard Top 200 list. On October 5, 2006, a press release declared that O.A.R. had officially sold in excess of 1.2 million albums over their career.[1] The band attributes much of its popularity to the taping and subsequent trading and downloading of their live shows.
The band performs the theme song for the ABC show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. During a two-hour special that aired on December 11 2005, they provided a streetside concert, including a live performance of "So Much" the Extreme Makeover Home Edition theme, in front of the newly redesigned Los Angeles Free Clinic.
On January 14, 2006 OAR reached a new peak of popularity by drawing roughly 17,000 fans and selling out New York City's famed Madison Square Garden, which earned them a review in the NY Times. O.A.R. continues to grow in popularity this year. Their music videos "Love and Memories" and "Lay Down" have been featured on VH1 and MTV respectively, and they played three nights at the Gorge with the Dave Matthews Band.
O.A.R. performed at the 2006 MLB All Star Game in Pittsburgh, during All Star Sunday, singing one of their top hits, Love and Memories. They also performed at a rally to benefit Darfur in Central Park on September 17, 2006.
O.A.R. in 2006 also recevied their first "official" award. O.A.R. (Of A Revolution) recevied a "Woodie" from MTV. Their video "Lay Down" won the Woodie for streaming video. O.A.R.'s acceptance speech can be seen on the MTV website.
After many rumors and much speculation, O.A.R. will be making a return trip to the famed Madison Square Garden (MSG) on Saturday January 27, 2007. This show will close out their 2007 Winter tour which starts in Ohio only a few weeks earlier.
Members
- Marc Roberge – (1996-present) He plays a Taylor 514-CE acoustic guitar, Fender Custom Shop Telecaster Juniors, and a Gibson Bob Marley Les Paul Special, which is a reissue of Bob Marley's with the exact specifications.
- Chris Culos – (1996-present) He plays a 5-piece Maryland drum set, and for his snare drum, he goes back and forth between a Demon Drum and a Yamaha copper shell.
- Richard On – (1996-present) He plays a custom Fender Stratocaster.
- Benj Gershman – (1996-present) He plays a Fender Jazz Bass.
- Jerry DePizzo – (1999-present) He plays a Selmer Paris Reference 54 Model 74 tenor saxophone, a 5th Ave Fret custom guitar, and a Hammer Newport guitar.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 200 |
Top Independent | |||
| 1997 | The Wanderer | - | - | Oarfin |
| 1999 | Souls Aflame | - | - | Oarfin |
| 2001 | Risen | - | 44 | Everfine |
| 2003 | In Between Now and Then | 54 | - | Lava |
| 2005 | Stories of a Stranger | 40 | - | Lava |
Live albums
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | RIAA Certification |
Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 200 |
Top Independent |
Heatseekers | ||||
| 2002 | Any Time Now | 156 | 11 | 4 | Gold (2006) | Everfine |
| 2003 | Found # | - | - | - | - | ? |
| 2004 | 34th & 8th | 80 | 6 | - | - | Everfine |
| 2005 | Bonnaroo $ | - | - | - | - | ? |
# - December 2003 promotion
$ - livebonnaroo.com "digital download"
Featured
[Compilation Name (Year, Song Title)]
- Bonnaroo 2003 (2003, "Risen")
- Rock For Relief (2006, "James")
- MLB 06: The Show (2006, "Of A Revolution")
- Mixclusives: Volume 6 (2006, "Love & Memories")
- The Target Red Room VOLUME:5 (2006, "One Shot (Live)")
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop 100 |
Modern Rock |
Adult Top 40 |
Adult Tracks |
Adult Recurrents | |||
| 2003 | "Hey Girl" | - | - | 26 | - | - | In Between Now & Then |
| 2005 | "Love and Memories" | 98 | 30 | 18 | 17 | 2 | Stories of a Stranger |
| 2006 | "Heard The World" | - | - | - | - | - | Stories of a Stranger |
| 2006 | "Lay Down" | - | - | - | - | - | Stories of a Stranger |
Notes
- ^ Press Release (2006). "O.A.R. Makes History With Over 1 Million Sold" marketwire.com (accessed October 6, 2006)
External links
Official
Other Links
- Billboard.com Band Profile
- oarsa.org setlist archive, lyrics, and fan site
- Archive.org collection of Live recordings & Taping policy
- Everfine Records
- O.A.R. Lyrics