O.A.R. is comprised of singer/lyricist Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, guitarist Richard On, saxophonist Jerry DePizzo and bassist Benj Gershman. They attended Ohio State and have remained in touch with the college population, which makes up a large portion of their audience. Photo courtesy of Lava Records

O.A.R. picked as Fallapalooza band

By Matt Vanepps
Assistant Scene Editor

The waiting is over. Well, the first part anyway. The actual concert isn’t for another two months.

At last weekend’s Jay Jam, Creighton Students Union Program Board announced that this year’s Fallapalooza will feature Of A Revolution, a pop-rock jam band based in Ohio. Fallapalooza is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 4.

O.A.R., not to be mistaken for a boat paddle, toured with Dave Matthews last summer and takes pride in its grassroots following.

Combining elements of rock n‘ roll, folk, ska and reggae, O.A.R. is difficult to describe.

However, that didn’t keep it from becoming one of the most successful indie groups, before releasing the album “In Between Now and Then” with Lava/Everfine Records in 2003.

Beginning with the hit from its first album, “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker,” O.A.R. began selling out college venues across the nation, increasing its cult fan base along the way.

According to Laura Swedean, CSU vice president for Programming, O.A.R. was by far the most popular band requested on the surveys distributed at Jon Heder’s appearance last spring.

“ We got over 500 responses,” Swedean said. “We listed the choices from the most votes to the least and they came out on top.”

Swedean said the Program Board gave O.A.R. dates on which the Kiewit Fitness Center was available, and they agreed to play Nov. 4.

“ Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t,” Swedean said. “This time it did.”

O.A.R. announced its latest tour last week, and while it is a long way to Omaha from Vancouver, where it will be on Nov. 1, the band will visit the rest of the Midwest afterward, with stops in Ames, Iowa, on Nov. 5 and Minneapolis on Nov. 6.

The tour coincides with O.A.R.’s new album, called “Stories of a Stranger,” which will be available Oct. 4.

Tickets for Fallapalooza are free for students and will be available beginning Homecoming Week.

Tickets are $10 for faculty, staff and student guests, and will be sold after Fall Break. Two guests will be allowed per student.