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O.A.R. was formed in 1996 by Chris Culos and Marc Roberge. Eighth grade students, the boys both loved Pearl Jam and lived in the same area. Soon Richard On and Benj Gershman joined the band, and they began to create music. For years, O.A.R. fame grew by word of mouth alone, since the group did not pay for any formal advertising. With roots as a college band, O.A.R. is very popular on college campuses all over America. On early albums, O.A.R. sang about their life at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. Other O.A.R. lyrics referred to their youth in Rockville, MD, where they all went to high school. O.A.R. often tours college campuses, where students are thrilled to hear them play. The name O.A.R. stands for Of A Revolution, but it does not necessarily refer to politics. O.A.R. strives to revolutionize music by combining various genres and refusing to be stereotyped. Fans admire O.A.R.'s history and independent style.
From their first days as young students, O.A.R. has grown into one of the most successful independent bands in the country. Cheap O.A.R. tickets were in high demand while the band was in college, but they still attended school. In fact, the group was so responsible that they arranged O.A.R. concerts around their class schedules. During their early years, O.A.R. sold out local venues such as Newport Music Hall and still managed to stay down to earth. O.A.R. albums include The Wanderer, Souls Aflame, Risen, and the recent All Sides. After years as an independent group, O.A.R. got a deal with Lava Records in 2003. The label admired O.A.R. for their songwriting, music, and huge fan base. Now O.A.R. gets more popular every day, touring the country to support their new album All Sides.
All Sides is O.A.R.'s sixth album, and hits include "One Day," "Shattered," "This Town," and "War Song." As the album title suggests, All Sides features a variety of music styles, from ballads to country rock and a dash of rock and roll.