Daniel Island came alive once again with the high-impact rock-meets-reggae sound of O.A.R. (of a Revolution) on Friday, July 20th, as they returned to Family Circle Magazine Stadium for the second consecutive year. O.A.R. is currently touring in support of Live From Madison Square Garden (a two-disc CD and two-disc DVD set) featuring a variety of hits from this January 27th, 2007 performance, O.A.R.'s first official live release since 2004's 34th & 8th.

O.A.R. ( Official Web Site / MySpace ) has a strong following consisting of fans all ages, and this was evident as a massive crowd came pouring onto the grounds of the Family Circle Tennis Center when gates opened at 6:30pm. The show kicked off at 8:00 pm with special guest Augustana( Official Web Site / MySpace / Band History ), a melancholy indie rock band who got the crowd to its feet with their fusion of European rock and organic Americana. Half way through their high energy 45-minute set featuring songs from their new studio release “All the Stars and Boulevards”, they slowed down the tempo and began the song that everyone came early to hear, their smash hit “Boston”. The crowd seemed to funnel onto the floor from all corners of the stadium as they danced and sang along to one of the best live performances of this chart-topping single. Check out Augustana performing "Boston" on an MTVU.com Campus Invasion video clip.

Applause thundered from the audience as Augustana finished their set and Dan Layus (lead guitarist and singer) thanked the crowd for their support as O.A.R. prepared to make their way to the stage for a 9:00 pm start.

As the musical instruments were being changed for O.A.R., it became apparent that Mother Nature had a different start time in mind. The skies blackened as a tornado warning was announced for Charleston and surrounding communities. Ominous black clouds could be seen over the bleachers as they moved in from the west to cover Daniel Island, and lightning began to strike in the distance. The storm seemed to gather directly over the stadium as the skies opened up with a torrential downpour that sent everyone running for cover. After 30 minutes of utter deluge, the rain stopped and the crowd was able to make their way back to their seats and onto the muddy clay floor. No one seemed to mind the delay or wetness as they danced to house music and enjoyed the coolness that broke the stifling heat until O.A.R. took the stage at 9:45 pm.

A slow melodic intro opened the set, then segued into front man Marc Roberge belting out the powerful Dareh Meyod as the evening was officially underway in front of nearly 4,500 screaming fans. The night was filled with radio mega-hits such as Love & Memories, Crazy Game of Poker, and Hey Girl, interspersed with fan favorites including About an Hour Ago and Lay Down that kept the crowd on its feet for the entire evening. The incredible energy flowed from the highest rows of the stadium down through the muddy clay floor where NASCAR superstar and friend of the band Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was enjoying the evening mixed in and dancing with the other fans packed close to the stage. It seemed that the entire crowd was still in Family Circle Magazine Stadium as the show wrapped up just after 11:45 pm with Hey Girl, arguably O.A.R.’s biggest hit and a fitting song for the end of a great evening under the stars.

O.A.R. proved that they still have the energy and drive to captivate audiences across America after touring for the last 13 years, and if they continue to create their unique style of high quality new music, Charleston seems ready and willing to embrace them for years to come. 

O.A.R. is a decade-old former college band with a deep fan base and unmistakable sound that quickly became a staple on college and alternative playlists in the late 1990’s and has enjoyed continued success ever since O.A.R. consists of singer/songwriter/guitarist Marc Roberge, Drummer Chris Culos, bassist Benji Gershman, and guitarist Richard On.  O.A.R. has partnered with CLIF Bar and their GreenNotes campaign.  Among the steps that O.A.R. has taken are:  Using biodiesel to fuel their tour buses offsetting the tour's CO2 emissions through the purchase of clean, renewable wind energy credits, using recycled paper and soy based inks for printed materials, providing organic cotton merchandise options for fans, requesting organic food backstage at all shows, and minimizing the idling of tour buses.

Set 1:
Dareh Meyod, About Mr. Brown, About An Hour Ago, Living In The End, Mr. Moon, Love And Memories, Lay Down, Road Outside Columbus, Here's To You, What Ever Happened, That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker, Heard The World, Missing Pieces

Encore:
Untitled, Hey Girl

Fan Pics

Augustana & O.A.R. Pics

*Click for a review, set list, and extensive photo gallery from the previous O.A.R. show held in Family Circle Magazine Stadium on August 5th, 2006.