 "Photo: Justin Maurer")
 "Photo: Justin Maurer")
In 1996, three eighth graders from Rockville, Md., decided to start a band. They tacked on a bassist in high school, found a saxophonist in college and Of A Revolution was born. Since then, the members of O.A.R. have become more like a family than a group of friends, and have relied on support from their families and each other to develop both individually and as a band to propel themselves to the top of their game.
Now, almost 12 years later, with six albums and numerous sold-out shows under their belts, these hometown boys have come a long way from their middle school days. Their sound continues to evolve with each new album, but manages to preserve a specific and instantly recognizable style that is definitively O.A.R.
Drummer Chris Culos once described an O.A.R. fan as someone who was looking for a positive message, a good time and a feeling of home. The band's constant willingness to form lasting relationships with fans and continuing ability to make music that almost everyone can relate to on some level is what has elevated them from a group of small-town boys in a garage to a group of small-town boys on the Madison Square Garden Stage.
After their show Friday at the Bob Carpenter Center, hosted by Student Centers Programming Advisory Board, master-of-all-trades Jerry DePizzo, who sings back-up vocals and plays the saxophone and guitar, took some time to talk to The Review about the music they love to play, the fans for which they love to perform and the collective beard-growing capabilities of the band.
So, you're touring colleges on the "Campus Consciousness" tour right now. How's that going?
It's been going really great. We love touring colleges and it's definitely something we like to do at least once a year to get back to our roots and play for a college audience. It was a lot of fun and I think [Friday] night was a good example of that. We had a really good time, it was a really good show - we thought we played really well and we had really great energy from the audience [Friday] night. So we had a lot of fun.
You guys started out together in middle school and now you're touring the country and performing to sold-out crowds with six albums under your belt. What's that like?
Well, it's an amazing experience. To be able to do what we do for a living, it's certainly a blessing and we're really fortunate that we have something that we've been doing for a very long time and we're probably going to do it for a lot longer. So yeah, it's really sweet.
The day tickets went on sale for the concert, there were approximately 700 students lined up outside the box office to buy them before they sold out. How do you feel about that?
It feels great. It feels awesome and it feels even better knowing that that happened close to the band's hometown where the band grew up. It's cool to come up to Delaware and do it because I imagine there are a lot of Maryland kids that go to Delaware and people from Virginia or even from the East Coast, just to keep it fair, I guess. They feel like O.A.R. is one of their own and we feel a special amount of excitement and energy. It's always unique going to the East Coast, especially near Maryland.
I know O.A.R. stands for Of A Revolution. Where did that come from?
It was a name that was derived from teenagers wishing and hoping to change the world and feeling that they could. That's really what it came from. And when you're 14, 15, 16 years old, you feel like you could do anything, and so Of A Revolution, it makes you feel like you can really make a difference. It was just inspiring to the band and it continues to be a name that drives us and inspires us.
How would you describe your sound for those who don't know?
Well, we always say, the band came up with this term "island vibe roots rock." I think Marc [Roberge] said that in the first interview that he ever gave and it still pretty much makes sense today. You know, it's rock 'n' roll - it's rock music with an island and jam feel to it.
I think it's awesome that you guys encourage your fans to record your live shows. Why do you do that?
We feel like it's part of the live experience. And if you want to come to the show and bring some taping equipment, you're more than welcome to tape the show and take that home with you. And if you want to give that to your friends or whatever, post it on the Internet. We certainly support that and welcome that. And for those of you who don't want to make the time investment or the money investment to go out and buy recording equipment and things like that, we also have a program ourselves that you can purchase that evening's show or another evening's show on a USB bracelet and take it home with you that night.
The Dave Matthews Band, whom you've toured with a lot, also does that for their fans. Do you take a lot of things from them?
Sometimes on the business side of things. We're under the big same-management umbrella and things like that. So yeah, there are a lot of opportunities that come to both bands that are shared.
What's on your "Most Recently Played" list on your iPod right now?
Well, let's see. I've been listening to the new Ryan Adams record. We're all big Ryan Adams fans, so that's been getting a lot of play. TV on the Radio, their new record I've been listening to. Fleet Foxes. I've got a whole bunch of stuff - I'm listening to a lot of music lately. The new AC/DC record - gotta buy that - that's like required reading for musicians. So things like that.
Are those the same people you get your inspiration from?
In a way I think you're influenced and inspired by whoever you listen to. You may hear something in them that may spark something in you to go create or do something different. One thing I was working on was the Vampire Weekend record, which sort of sparked me to go off and do something a little quirky and different than what I normally do. So yeah, it's certainly modern music, classic music, you know, whatever.
Your newest album All Sides is a little different from your normal breezy style. Can you talk a little about where that came from?
The band feels like it's just a natural progression in the lineage of the band. If you listen to the first record compared to the last record, there's certainly going to be a drastic difference in the sound of the band and the style and song writing of the band. But if you listen to the records in their lineage, in their timeline, I think it makes a lot of sense. It's just a natural progression of the band. This is just the next step at it.
Do you have any crazy stories from the road?
There's always crazy stuff that happens. It was crazy - we hit a deer the other night. It scared the hell out of us. Because you're sleeping and it's like 4 a.m. and the driver puts on the brakes but you don't know if there's going to be anything on the other end of those brakes or if he's just trying to slow down. So it wakes you up out of a dead sleep and you're kind of bracing for impact. And if you've never experienced that, well, I hope you don't have to. It all kind of blends together after a while.
This tour is the beard tour. I started growing a beard at the beginning of this tour and everyone was following suit. Marc couldn't take it - he shaved after like three or four days. And then Benj [Gershman] has grown like three beards in the time it's taken me to grow one. And Chris - God bless him - he's trying so hard, he just can't do it. And Richard [On], he's still holding strong too.
Do you like to play pranks on each other or anything like that while you're cramped up on the bus?
Yeah, I actually just screwed with Richard before I got on the phone. I actually can't tell you what I did. But yeah, we screw around with each other, we screw around with the crew guys - stuff like that. You gotta keep it fun and light and we try to as best as possible.
If one person in the band were to get their own reality show, who would it be and why?
You probably want to say Marc because he's the lead singer, but off the stage, not that exciting of a guy - in the nicest way possible. He and I, we're married. We go home and hang out with the wives and watch TV, family stuff. Not very interesting. Benj on the other hand, the bass player, very interesting. That guy's all over the place. He would definitely get a reality show. He should get a reality show.
Describe your band members in one word.
Family. They have been for a long time and will be for a long time.
What are your plans for after the tour ends?
After the tour ends we go right into family time because of Thanksgiving and stuff. We have Thanksgiving week, so we'll do that and then we go right back on the tour. And then it's Christmas and more family time. Band, family, band, family - it's always just a rotation.
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