Media Credit: Gabrielle Nasberg

Media Credit: Gabrielle Nasberg

Media Credit: Gabrielle Nasberg

Media Credit: Gabrielle Nasberg

Media Credit: Gabrielle Nasberg

O.A.R. played to an energetic crowd Monday night, turning the University of Maine Field House into a concert hall. The band, often said to be at its best live, certainly lived up to its reputation.

Virginia Coalition opened to a small crowd that was pleased with their catchy beats and lyrics. The group from Alexandria, Va. performed eight songs, the most memorable being a cover of "Lean on Me," complete with booming crowd participation.

When O.A.R. appeared, the crowd had filled out and was ready. Starting off with the lead track from their July full-length release, "All Sides," the crowd quickly got into it.

Lead singer Marc Roberge gave the large venue an intimate feel by keeping a dialogue going with fans throughout the night. "What is Mine," "One Day" and "Living in the End" were some of the songs played from their most recent album.

This may have been the one fault with the show; although the band played crowd-pleasing favorites "Hey Girl" and "City on Down," they focused heavily on new material and left out some classics.

As the show progressed, the Field House took on the atmosphere of a lazy summer night. The lighting helped, transforming the ceiling of the venue into a replica of the night sky.

O.A.R. played a long set, closing with a duet between Roberge and Virginia Coalition's lead singer. After the electric "Poker, Poker," chants from the audience, the band returned to the stage and performed their current single, "Shattered," and a lengthy redux of "That Was a Crazy Game of Poker."

"This was my seventh time seeing them, and the concert keeps on getting better and better. The version they played of 'Hey Girl,' I heard at my first concert 3 years ago, so I love that they switch up the songs," said first-year student Madalyn Zielinski.

O.A.R. is known to encourage recording at their shows, with the promise that no two shows are the same. Their live song interpretations were the highlight of the show for many.

"The remix of 'Poker' at the end was awesome and was a great conclusion to a great show," said fourth-year student Rob Sampson.

The show, which had many fans singing along, featured smooth solos from saxophonist Jerry DePizzo and solid performances from drummer Chris Culos and guitarists Richard On and Benj Gershman.

As the evening came to a conclusion, the fans all seemed to agree with Roberge when he ended the night with, "That was awesome, Maine."

Article Tools