I have been an O.A.R. fan for quite a while. I’ve seen
them in concert a number of times. I love their music and always pick up their
latest releases as soon as they are available. I am also a big fan of Phillip
Phillips, whom my wife turned me on to. I love his music as well and listen to
his two albums a lot. So, when the opportunity to see Phillip Phillips open for
O.A.R. at PNC Bank Arts Center arrived, I was over the moon. I had never seen
Phillip Phillips perform live and I knew how grand an O.A.R. show was. Heading
to the venue, I kept thinking how this could be the show of my summer.
Our seats weren’t terrible. We were in the 400 section of
the amphitheater, which isn’t bad. If you have an actual seat at the Arts
Center, the sight lines and acoustics are decent no matter where you sit. As we
settled into our seats, I noticed that a lot of fans were there to see Phillip
Phillips. Some didn’t even know who O.A.R. were. That surprised and
disappointed me. I’ve always felt that O.A.R. was an exceptional band that
hasn’t gotten the attention they deserve. Phillip Phillips is well known from
his American Idol days, so he has a lot more recognition behind him, which
might be why people were there just for him.
Phillips came out first and opened with “Where We Came
From” which put a big smile on my face. It’s a great song and a good choice for
an opener. There’s no denying that Philips draws a huge influence from Dave
Matthews Band and that was extremely evident in his stage show. Long, drawn out
jams, stage movements, and the way he worked the crowd were all taken right
from the DMB playbook. To me, that was a very good thing, as I love DMB. To
others, like my wife, it wasn’t as much of a treat. It all depends on your
musical tastes.
“Gone, Gone, Gone” was performed two songs later and I,
along with the majority of the crowd, went nuts. I absolutely love that song. I
find it to be one of his finest songs recorded to date. Hearing it live was a
real treat to the ears. Phillips is a young, hungry performer winning audiences
over one show at a time. On that warm summer night in New Jersey he had the audience
up and rocking three songs into his set.
Phillips was touring behind his recently released second
album, Behind The Light. As great as
his debut record was, his sophomore effort was even better. Behind The Light improved upon all the
greatness of this performer and cemented him as a brilliant recording artist.
After two albums and one concert performance, I considered myself a huge fan of
Phillip Phillips.
Phillips performed a good mix of songs from both of his
releases and even included a cover of Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s
Song).” It was a well done rendition enjoyed by all the fans in attendance.
Other notable performances included “Lead On,” “Raging Fire” and show closer
“Home.” The last song was particularly amazing as Phillips was really able to
work the crowd for a sing along and put his all into the live performance. By
the end of the song, the entire Arts Center was on their feet singing back to
Phillips. His three mile smile showed just how happy he was to be playing live
music.
When his set finished, I was stunned, amazed, and
sweating. I knew that I would have to see him perform again and as often as I
could. Sadly, I have not had the opportunity to see Phillips live since that
night, but I am keeping my eyes open for tour dates.
O.A.R. was supporting a new album, The Rockville LP, which contained some of their finest work in
years. This would be my first opportunity to hear the new songs live. I was
anxious and excited. Unfortunately, this was not the same sentiment amongst
some of the other fans in attendance. After Phillip Phillips finished his set,
people were leaving the Arts Center. What was going on? I even overheard one
woman state “Wait, there’s another band coming on? Why?” That shocked me. Was
Phillips that good, or was O.A.R. that unknown? Either way, it was
disappointing to watch people leave before O.A.R. took the stage. Ultimately,
it was their loss, but it also started to show that O.A.R. did not have the
staying power I thought. In 2015 they would perform to a half empty Arts Center
and in 2016 they didn’t perform the Arts Center at all.
Being the professionals they are, O.A.R. came out and
tore up the stage from the opening number, “One Shot.” The band always mixes up
their sets from one night to the next, so the audience never knows what to
expect. On this evening we were treated to some exceptional classics, brilliant
new music, and a couple of grand covers. “Love and Memories,” and “Dareh Meyod”
followed the opening number and I just knew it was going to be a rewarding
evening.
The first new song followed, “Two Hands Up,” and it was
magnificent. It was every bit as good live as I had hoped it would be. The band
was tighter than ever and the new songs resonated. It was obvious that O.A.R.
enjoyed playing them and those that stayed were well versed in the new material
(myself included). There were plenty of sing-alongs on the new material, which
made me smile.
A rarely performed gem was pulled out on that evening.
The band played “The Fallout” which caused me to scream with jubilance. “The
Fallout” is one of my favorite O.A.R. songs and to see it live covered my body
with chills of excitement. The live version was breathtaking and one of my
favorite moments at an O.A.R. concert.
The always played “That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker” was
performed to the delight of the crowd. I personally think that it’s time to
hang this song up for a while, or move it to a different spot in the setlist,
but 99% of O.A.R. fans would probably disagree with me. The night ended on two
covers: “No Woman, No Cry” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” And while I am
not a fan of ending your concert on a cover song, O.A.R. seems to do it well.
This night was no exception. Everyone came out for the last song, including
Phillip Phillips and to see both bands on stage for “While My Guitar Gently
Weeps” with Marc Roberge and Phillip Phillips trading verses was a moment in my
concert history that will stay with me for a long, long time. It was a terrific
ending to a terrific summer night of magnificent music and it made me yearn for
the opportunity when I could see either of those bands again.
Phillip
Phillips Setlist
Where We Came From
Unpack Your Heart
Gone, Gone, Gone
Man On The Moon
Thicket
Get Up Get Down
Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
Lead On
Raging Fire
Fool For You
Fly
Home
O.A.R. Setlist
One Shot
Love And Memories
Dareh Meyod
Two Hands Up
Shattered (Turn The Car Around)
Anyway
Rude
Wonderful Day
The Fallout
Heaven
Favorite Song
City On Down
Untitled
We’ll Pick Up Where We Left Off
Nasim Joon
Hey Girl
Peace
That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker
No Woman No Cry
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
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