Of A Revolution

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O.A.R. (....of a revolution)
O.A.R. performing at Cornell's Slope Day in 2004
O.A.R. performing at Cornell's Slope Day in 2004
Background information
Origin Rockville, Maryland, United States
Genre(s) Rock, roots rock, college rock, jam
Years active 1996–present
Label(s) Lava, Everfine
Website www.ofarevolution.com
Members
Marc Roberge
Chris Culos
Richard On
Benj Gershman
Jerry DePizzo
Mikel Paris

....of a revolution (or O.A.R.) is an American rock band consisting of Marc Roberge (vocals, guitar), Chris Culos (drums, percussion), Richard On (guitar, backing vocals), Benj Gershman (bass guitar), Jerry DePizzo (saxophone, guitar, backing vocals). Due to massive online distribution over campus networks, the band has become a hit among college students, with many songs relating to the band members' personal lives at The Ohio State University and growing up in Rockville, Maryland.

Contents

[edit] Background

The band was founded in 1996 by Marc Roberge and Chris Culos, who then 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 Ohio State University. While at Ohio State, they met Jerry DePizzo, from Youngstown, Ohio.

Without any formal marketing or advertising plans, news of their songs 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, expanding from the fraternities and sororities of Ohio State to any audiences that cared to listen. This exposure paid off; their third album Risen debuted at #11 on the Billboard top internet sales chart. The following year, 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 street-side 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 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[2]. Their music videos "Love and Memories" and "Lay Down" have been featured on VH1 and MTV, and they played three nights at the Gorge with the Dave Matthews Band. After having "Love And Memories" as their first radio hit, "Heard The World" was named in September 2006 as their second single off Stories of a Stranger. "Heard The World" has been Top 10 on many Maryland and D.C. radio stations, and "Love And Memories" still gets consistent air play on major radio stations.

O.A.R. performed at the 2006 Major League Baseball 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. received a "Woodie" award from MTV in 2006; their video "Lay Down" won the Woodie for streaming video.

In a message to their fans, Jerry DePizzo, the band's saxophone player, announced that they are currently working on a new record that should be ready early 2008. Marc Roberge also stated on 27 December 2006 that they have over twenty new songs written and in the works.

O.A.R. made a return trip to Madison Square Garden and performed on January 27, 2007, supported by Gomez and Matt Nathanson. This show closed out their 2007 Winter tour which started in Ohio only a few weeks earlier. On June 5, 2007 the concert was released as a DVD/Double Live CD.

In June of 2007 the band's songs "Wonderful Day" and "One Shot" were used extensively by ESPN during its coverage of the 2007 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament and College World Series.

The band conducted a USO tour around the Persian Gulf in late August 2007.[3][4]

O.A.R. has just announced their full summer tour. Their tour will be called "All Sides Tour" and will begin June 15 in Manchester, TN at Bonnaroo and will conclude August 31 at the Gorge as an opening act for Dave Matthews Band.

It has been officially announced by the band that their album "All Sides" will be out July 15. The first radio single is called "Shattered" and will be available to be downloaded June 13th.

[edit] Members

Touring member Mikel Paris(2006-present)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Live albums

[edit] Compilations

Compilation name (year, song title)

[edit] 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
2008 "This Town" - - - - - All Sides

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Press Release (2006). "O.A.R. Makes History With Over 1 Million Sold" marketwire.com (accessed October 6, 2006)
  2. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16/arts/music/16oar.html
  3. ^ O.A.R. have played multiple shows for the troops."USO Tour Schedule 2007" (accessed August 25th, 2007).
  4. ^ Video from Kirkuk Regional Air Base (8.28.07)"YouTube" (accessed August 30th, 2007).

[edit] External links

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