Few could anticipate the transformation of rock quintet O.A.R.
from a local Ohio State frat band to a frequent and respected
headliner across the country. O.A.R.’s moniker stands for
“Of a Revolution,” which has so far turned out to be an
apt description of the band’s success.
Remarkably, O.A.R. expanded its fan base and achieved its
current success the old-fashioned way ““ through constant
touring ““ which gradually spawned a considerable grassroots
following that has continued to expand largely by word of mouth. To
this day, though the band has not achieved large radio or MTV
recognition, O.A.R. has produced five albums and sold over 400,000
records.
“I would say that (touring) is probably the most essential
element (of O.A.R.’s success) that the band itself
contributes to. We tour about nine months out of the year,”
said saxophonist Jerry DePizzo.
DePizzo also credits file sharing as an essential element in
allowing O.A.R. to expand its early fan base, particularly when the
band members were still attending college and could not tour as
frequently as they do now.
“Napster was a way for us to get our music out there to
people who probably wouldn’t be able to hear us, you
know?” said DePizzo. “When we finished up school, there
were all these little pockets of fan bases around the country. So
basically all we did was get in the van and connect those dots, and
it ended up serving us well.”
Although O.A.R. now recognizes and directly experiences the
pitfalls of file sharing and thus is not as quick to condone it,
the band members still remain loyal to their core fan base by
allowing fans to tape their live shows and share them with friends,
as long as the recordings are used solely for the sake of sharing
music rather than generating a profit.
Recently O.A.R. had the opportunity to raise its profile to an
even greater level by opening for the Dave Matthews Band, a
longtime role model that achieved its success much in the same vein
as O.A.R.
“They’re an incredible band, and all of them are
incredible musicians in their own right,” DePizzo said.
“More than musically, I think we’ve borrowed from their
business model and their operations, the way that they conduct
themselves, and the way they’ve built up a following and fan
base. Those guys toured for years and released a record on their
own before they ended up on MTV or they had a hit record on their
side. They built their audience up through touring, and
that’s something that we’ve followed.”
To pay tribute to its devoted fans, O.A.R. recently released its
second live album, “34th & 8th,” which includes two
consecutive sold-out performances in New York City over the 2003
Thanksgiving weekend.
“We’ve made it a tradition to go to New York and
play during the Thanksgiving season, either before or after.
We’ve done it for the last three years, and we’re going
to do it this year, as well,” said DePizzo.
“There’s so much life to (New York City) that it
reflects in the audience and the performance as well.”
Part of the reason audiences remain so captivated by
O.A.R.’s shows is the honesty and sincerity with which the
band performs. In particular, lead vocalist and guitarist Marc
Roberge’s lyrics reflect actual experiences that many fans
can relate to in some way.
“(Roberge is) really honest with his lyrics,” said
DePizzo. “The best way to do that is to talk about (your)
personal experiences, and that’s why so many people are able
to relate to the songs ““ because we’ve already been
through it, overcome it, dealt with it ““ it’s easier
for people to digest that way.”
With their tour winding down and set to ultimately conclude at
L.A.’s Greek Theatre, O.A.R. now looks forward to what the
future has in store for it.
“I always recognized that there was something special in
this band from the first time I heard them, when I wasn’t
even a part of it,” said DePizzo. “We want to take this
thing as far as it will let us take it, as far as it will take
us.”