Lets forget about the negative attention the recent O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) show at Jones Beach has received and focus on the music. Fans of the band know for a fact that O.A.R. does not support any of the none-sense that was seen in the parking lot. Just listen to their lyrics ( Conquering Fools for example). I do believe that the instigators of the fights and other debauchery in the parking lot did not even attend the show but just went to the parking lot to drink and cause a ruckus. That said...
Touring in support of their newest album All Sides, O.A.R. started their night off with single This Town. A perfect example of the possible pop-mainstream direction the band may be taking. Then when you thought the band would forget about their core fans that have been with the band for years, Benj Gershman's bassline of Dareh Meyod begins to crawl up your spine as saxophonist Jerry DePizzo starts his superb night by wailing solos throughout the song, especially in the outro.
One of the major reason that O.A.R. attracts such a devoted and eager fan base is he unpredictability of night to night setlists. A classic and tour rarity Get Away stunned the crowd and was hands down the most memorable moment of the show. Fan favorite Crazy Game of Poker followed unusually early in the set, giving each member of the band to solo. The jamming continued during Lay Down and Anyway, lead by keyboardist/ percussionist Mikael Paris whose new breakdown/outro of Lay Down and segues in Anyway gave the band much more musical flexibility.
Although not as special as the appearance of Get Away, King of the Thing and Someone in the Road allowed Marc Roberge to showcase his great songwriting ability while still catering to the older fans in the crowd.
Program Director harmonies, War Song, and Whose Chariot's jams were also memorable moments leading into Night Shift closing out the main set. The encore consisted of the standard acoustic song, I Feel Home, new song Whatever Happened, and closed City on Down. Ozomatli, the opening band joined O.A.R. on stage and created a song that seemed like it was taken from the tapes of a Dave Matthews Band show. Definitely the best jam of the night as the band displayed their maturity. Ozomatli's saxophonist and trumpet player joined DePizzo to make an unforgettable ending. City on Down, a fan favorite and classic was a perfect ending to another great show at Jones Beach by O.A.R.
Overall a great show by the band. Perfect mix of old and new. This being my fifth O.A.R. show I really enjoyed their sound and appreciate the energy they bring each night. Special thanks to the band for their wishes for my grandfather that was extremely nice and thoughtful of them!
Download the Show: http://www.archive.org/details/ofarevolution2008-08-02.oar2008-08-02.at-pro24.flac
Set List:
1. This Town
2. Dareh Meyod (34th & 8th Intro)
3. Get Away
4. That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker
5. Lay Down
6. Anyway
7. King Of The Thing
8. Shattered (Turn The Car Around)
9. Dinner Last Night
10. Someone In The Road
11. Program Director
12. Whose Chariot?
13. Love And Memories
14. War Song
15. Night Shift
Encore:
16. I Feel Home
17. Whatever Happened
18. City On Down (Organ Intro)
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