O.A.R. & Gomez live

O.A.R./Gomez
U.I.C. Pavilion, Chicago
Friday, January 19, 2007

Calling O.A.R. a Dave Matthews Band rip-off is both unfair and misleading, though it’s a frequent comparison from critics and casual fans alike. Sure, the guys have opened for Dave and company on numerous occasions, built their fan base with a similar grassroots approach, tour incessantly, and yes, even have a saxophone player. And while at least a hundred DMB tour garments could be spotted in the crowd (along with a smattering of Phish shirts and other obligatory jam bands), O.A.R. has an underlying reggae approach to its material, while also trading incessant hippie noodling for beach-soaked grooves.

Though those qualities may be generally advantageous for the Rockville, Maryland-born/Ohio State University-bred troupe, the formula still had its fair share of drawbacks Friday night, starting with the somewhat blandly arranged but fervently presented “Wonderful Day.” Like the majority of their headlining set supporting Stories Of A Stranger (Lava/Everfine), fans knew pretty much every word to each song and sang with the intensity of a drunken college crowd at a packed karaoke bar. But the experience proved patience trying after just a few songs, because almost everything neared the 10-minute mark and was marred not by the pretentiousness like their long-winded peers, but generic and vanilla centering.

Granted, the whole experience would’ve been better high — and many were — but the sax doused “My Life,” the pedestrian ballad “Heard The World” (also the title cut to last year’s iTunes EP), and the sun-stroked “About An Hour Ago” were far from forceful. Come “Anyway,” frontman Marc Roberge helped transition the mood from a white-washed Bob Marley premise to the cocktail chugging, Caribbean chill of Jimmy Buffett, which for better or worse, allowed the revelry to continue. For the faithful, it was like a loaded night in Margaritaville, though for the uninitiated, proved another true test of patience. However, it was hard not to ignore the charisma of the band’s concert staple, “That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker,” a lively rave-up sure to keep any frat party pumping.

Unfortunately, the considerably crowded arena was only at half capacity when Gomez kicked off the night, which was a real shame considering their set was much more solid than the main attraction. Not only have the British pop/rock/roots rockers grown by leaps and bounds since debuting nearly a decade ago, but they hit several career highpoints throughout a lean but satisfying set list. The group are currently plugging two simultaneous releases and accordingly split presentations between the studio project How We Operate (ATO) and Five Men In a Hut: A’s, B’s & Rarities 1998-2004 (Virgin).

Out of the oldies, “Ping One Down” provided a quirky but compelling percussion driven romp, akin to current label mate David Gray. Newer tune “Girlshapedlovedrug” was a jangle-pop masterpiece, filled out by the booming harmonies of Tom Gray and Ben Ottewell, while “Notice” was a much more organic affair with light folk leanings. Still, Gomez’s top live tune was “How We Operate,” a resplendent finale that was part Wilco at their most mainstream and half R.E.M. during their more adventurous beginnings. Even so, the members were more than merely emulators of their apparent interests, but rather crafty architects of intriguing style switch-ups.

— Andy Argyrakis

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly