O.A.R. (short for Of A Revolution) is an American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band, founded in 1996 in
Rockville, Maryland.
The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, guitarist Richard On, bassist Benj Gershman, saxophonist/guitarist Jerry DePizzo, and touring members, trumpet player Jon Lampley and keyboardist Mikel Paris. Together, the band has released ten studio albums. The band is well known for their live shows and extensive summer touring, and have released six live records, with the latest release, ''Live From Merriweather'', in November 2019. Four of the band members grew up in
Rockville, Maryland and attended
Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School
Thomas S. Wootton High School or Wootton High School (WHS) is a public high school in Rockville, Maryland. Its namesake is Thomas S. Wootton, the founder of Montgomery County. The school was founded in 1970 and is part of the Montgomery County P ...
. After graduating, they went on to study at
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
. There they met the fifth member, saxophonist/guitarist Jerry DePizzo from
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, whi ...
.
Their newest album, "The Arcade", was released on July 15th, 2022. The album was produced by Jantz Spalding.
History
Formation and early years (1996–2004)
After earlier iterations performing together as far back as middle school, O.A.R. was formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Marc Roberge and drummer Chris Culos, inspired in part by Roberge's older brother, who plays drums for the band
Foxtrot Zulu. They later recruited Richard On and Benj Gershman. In 1996 they recorded their debut album, ''
The Wanderer'', at Gizmo Recording Company in Silver Spring, Maryland with engineer/producer Gantt Kushner. Many songs from the album, including "Black Rock" and "That Was A Crazy Game of Poker", became staples of their live shows and are still played at most concerts today.
The three of the four band members attended one semester at
Alexander Muss High School in Israel
Alexander Muss High School in Hod HaSharon, Israel is a pluralistic study-abroad program in Hod HaSharon, Israel, for high school students. Programs run throughout the year and range in length from 6 weeks to 18 weeks. The school is a fully accredi ...
, graduated from
Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, then moved to
Columbus, Ohio to attend Ohio State University. While at OSU, they met Jerry DePizzo, from
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, whi ...
. He joined the band as the saxophonist, completing the current lineup. In 1999, they returned to Gizmo Recording to record their second album, ''
Soul's Aflame
''Soul's Aflame'' is the second album released by O.A.R.
O.A.R. (short for Of A Revolution) is an American rock band, founded in 1996 in Rockville, Maryland. The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, gui ...
''.
Unlike other similar bands, O.A.R. did not use much formal advertising/marketing plans to obtain an audience, instead choosing to rely on word-of-mouth and touring alone. Their third album ''
Risen'' debuted at No.11 on the ''
Billboard'' top internet sales chart. They received offers from various major labels, but ultimately chose to sign with
Lava Records
Lava Records (Lava Music, LLC) is an American record label owned by Jason Flom in partnership with Universal Music Group.
Company history
In 1995, Flom launched Lava Records in partnership with Atlantic Records. For the next decade, he continu ...
in 2002. The following year, their fourth album ''In Between Now and Then'' debuted at No. 156 on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart.
Mainstream success (2005–present)
In 2005, O.A.R. released their fifth album, ''
Stories of a Stranger'', which debuted at No. 40 on the Billboard 200. It produced the singles "Love and Memories", "Heard the World", and "Lay Down." "Love and Memories" was the band's first single to chart and receive significant radio airplay, peaking at 98 in the
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles sa ...
, at 30 in
Modern Rock Tracks, and at 18 in
Adult Top 40
The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
. The music videos for "Love and Memories" and "Lay Down" received airplay on
VH1 and
MTV. The video for "Lay Down" received a "Woodie" award from MTV for streaming video.
On January 14, 2006, O.A.R. reached a new peak of popularity by drawing roughly 18,000 fans and selling out New York City's
Madison Square Garden, which earned them a review in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. 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.
[Press Release (2006)]
"O.A.R. Makes History With Over 1 Million Sold"
marketwire.com (accessed October 6, 2006) The band attributes much of its popularity to the recording and subsequent trading and downloading of their live shows.
![OARlive](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/OARlive.JPG)
On July 15, 2008, O.A.R. released their sixth studio album, ''
All Sides''. The first radio single for ''All Sides'', "
Shattered (Turn the Car Around)", was released on June 13, despite the band initially having hesitations about including the song on the album. It surpassed "Love And Memories", peaking at 2 in
Adult Top 40
The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
. In December 2008,
VH1 named the music video for "Shattered" as number 18 on their Top 40 Videos of 2008.
In 2010, O.A.R. returned to the studio to record their seventh studio album, ''
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
''. The band introduced several of their new songs during the 2010 tour, including: "Over and Over", "Fire", "Dangerous Connection", and "Gotta Live." ''
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
'' was released on Wind-up Records on August 2, 2011 and debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting debut for the band so far. The album's first single, "Heaven", was released on June 7, 2011. On May 8, 2012, O.A.R. released a new single as part of a collaboration with
Duracell in support of Team USA in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. The song is called "Champions", and features rapper
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years late ...
, who contributed the vocals in the verses.
On November 19, 2012, O.A.R. released a live CD/DVD entitled ''
Live on Red Rocks'', which consists of footage and music from their performance at
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure in the western United States, near Morrison, Colorado, west of Denver. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind ...
on their 2012 summer tour.
In an interview with Billboard magazine posted on January 16, 2014, Jerry Depizzo revealed that their eighth studio album would be released in May 2014, and that the lead single would be "Peace"—a new song they played live many times on their 2013 summer tour. On March 21, 2014, the band announced via various social media sites that the new album, titled ''
The Rockville LP'' would be released on June 10, 2014.
''The Rockville LP'' debuted at number 13 on ''
Billboards top 200, #1 independent albums, #6 top current rock albums, and #7 current digital albums.
In May 2016, the band announced the release of a career spanning compilation to coincide with their 20th anniversary.
Entitled ''
XX'', the album was released on August 5, 2016 bundled with a disc of live performances and two new songs "Follow Me, Follow You" and "I Go Through"''.'' The band embarked on a two-month tour of North America.
In 2018, O.A.R. returned to the studio to record their ninth studio album, ''The Mighty''. The first single from the album is "Miss You All the Time", released on October 12, 2018. ''The Mighty'' was presented and released to the public on March 29, 2019.
O.A.R. released a new single “Alive” on November 18, 2021 to tease out a forthcoming tour and album in 2022. The album, titled The Arcade, was their tenth album. It was released on July 15, 2022.
Charitable endeavors and other appearances
The band's Heard The World foundation was founded to support youth, education and sustainable programs both in the U.S. and abroad.
On December 14, 2012, O.A.R. performed with the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it bega ...
at the
Music Center at Strathmore
Strathmore is a cultural and artistic venue and institution in North Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Strathmore was founded in 1981 and consists of two venues: the Mansion and the Music Center.
It is the home to hundreds of performances and ...
. The concert benefited the Heard the World Foundation.
In December 2009, Jerry DePizzo headlined a charity fundraiser for Music Loves Ohio in Columbus at The Basement.
The band worked with
SAIC, a US defense contractor, to raise money for the
Paralyzed Veterans of America
The Paralyzed Veterans of America is a veterans' service organization in the United States of America, founded in 1946. The organization holds 33 chapters and 70 National Service Offices in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is based in Washin ...
, a service organization focused on assisting veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases, through digital downloads of the band's song "Light Switch Sky." Proceeds from downloads of the song through July 22, 2010 supported paralyzed veterans. The song was co-written by O.A.R. and their fans through a competition on Twitter.
/ref>
On October 4, 2012, the band headlined a "But for Ohio State: Rock the Oval" concert at Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
to help raise money for the school that the band's members attended.
O.A.R. and Phillip Phillips' 2014 Summer Tour benefited Habitat for Humanity.
O.A.R. performed live from Times Square on December 31, 2014 at Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve.
O.A.R. performed at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games
The 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games were a multi-sport event for athletes with intellectual disabilities held in Los Angeles, United States from July 25 to August 2, 2015, in the tradition of the Special Olympics movement.
These Game ...
.
Marc Roberge and Jon Lampley performed the Star Spangled Banner in Columbus, Ohio before an NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
and the Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
on March 5, 2022. The game was notable for holding a ceremony retiring the first jersey number in Blue Jackets history; Rick Nash
Richard McLaren Nash (born June 16, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who serves as the director of player development for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). After being selected first overal ...
's number 61.
Members
Current members
* Marc Roberge – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1996–present)
* Richard On – lead guitar, backing vocals (1996–present)
* Benj Gershman – bass (1996–present)
* Chris Culos – drums (1996–present)
* Jerry DePizzo – saxophone, guitar, backing vocals (2000–present)
Current touring members
* Mikel Paris – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals (2006–present)
* Jon Lampley – trumpet, sousaphone, backing vocals (2011–present)
Former touring members
* Evan Oberla – trombone, backing vocals (2011–2014)
Timeline
Discography
* '' The Wanderer'' (1997)
* ''Soul's Aflame
''Soul's Aflame'' is the second album released by O.A.R.
O.A.R. (short for Of A Revolution) is an American rock band, founded in 1996 in Rockville, Maryland. The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, gui ...
'' (1999)
* '' Risen'' (2001)
* '' In Between Now and Then'' (2003)
* '' Stories of a Stranger'' (2005)
* '' All Sides'' (2008)
* ''King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
'' (2011)
* '' The Rockville LP'' (2014)
* ''The Mighty'' (2019)
* ''The Arcade'' (2022)
Notes
External links
*
* Billboard.com Band Profilebr>oarsa.org
setlist archive, lyrics, and fan site
{{Authority control, state=expanded
Jam bands
Ohio State University alumni
Musical groups established in 1996
Atlantic Records artists
Alternative rock groups from Maryland
Indie rock musical groups from Maryland
Musicians from Rockville, Maryland