The Fate Of O.A.R.

O.A.R. are probably one of the bands in my top ten of all time. I have loved them for about three years now. I didn't pick up on them because of their show at Madison Square Garden, or Stories Of A Stranger, but because of Any Time Now. At that time I was in a "musical slump" I guess, and I hated anything that would come on the radio, because I was accostomed to liking whatever pop-garbage was on there. Nowadays I would go back in time and slap myself for liking that crap. Then I got hooked on Any Time Now and Live at Madison Square Garden when it came out (in fact I'm listening to About Mr. Brown from the Garden right now). It was like a godsend, the rhythms being permanently ingrained into my brain, humming them every second of the day. I know every lyric, every vocal twinge on those CD's, including 34th and 8th. When I found out O.A.R. was going to the Meadows up in Hartford I was estatic, and the same way when I found out they were putting out a new CD. That's when it all fell down hill.

I heard the single basically the day it came out on the website. This Town, catchy enough, but it was missing O.A.R's vibe, not to mention basically no sax, which was what caught my eye in the beginning. Then came What Is Mine, which was equally as terrible. It was a piss-poor attempt to throw back to the days of The Wanderer, and failed. Then All Sides came out, and I was looking for that one redeeming track that would tell me all would be all right. None was there, and I was down on my luck. I knew that this was over-produced poppy garbage, but listened, trying to find a song I liked, and there was none. Then the video for Shattered, a song that was terrible by O.A.R's standards came out, and they exploded.

I feel like now people are going to consider them a one-hit-wonder because of this song. They are by no means a one-hit-wonder, they just weren't that mainstream. I was proud, because now everyone was walking around singing the band that I was obssessed with, but then it started to fade. I saw the Blackberry commercial a couple months later, after my show on 8.09.08, which was incredible, because it was my first. I knew it was the beginning. I mean I had heard of it before, but now I realized it. O.A.R., the band in which I held my taste in music, was becoming a sell out.

They marched along this path, and just held my breath, and waited for them to be all up in arms, realizing their mistake. And now, on their facebook fan page, they announced they would be playing a complementary concert for NASCAR fans. Are you kidding me? I am so pissed off I am nearly at a loss for words. First they desert me and all the other hardcores with their pop garbage, then begin to sell out with a bad song and advertisements, but now... I didn't know they could sink so low.

A couple days ago, I was wearing my O.A.R. hoodie I got for Christmas last year (thanks to my parents, who rule), and a girl walked up to me saying "Oh I love O.A.R!" The conversation went as follows:
"Really?"
"Yeah totally!"
"Name three songs besides Shattered."
"Try Me, War Song, And Dinner Last Night."
"Try a song that isn't on All Sides."
"Don't know any..."

Now we have bandwagon fans. Bandwagon fans? Really? I don't know how many more people there are like that out there, but I am sure that there are. I am sure if I gave them all a copy of The Wanderer and Any Time Now they wouldn't like it, well a little bit sure. Either way, this is a wake up call. I doubt anyone from O.A.R. will ever read this little rant, but seriously if they are, wake the hell up. You guys are becoming a second rate pop act. I don't want any fans going to shows only knowing All Sides and TGOP. I am on the breaking strand with O.A.R. Don't make me cut my ties to the band that got me into music.

Rant Ends Here.
Andrew.