Albuquerque
As the Jeep World Outside Festival approached New Mexico, I had the chance to talk with O.A.R. saxophonist Jerry DePizzo in a telephone interview. Complete with music blasting in the background, the band was about to rock Raleigh, N.C.
JH: I’ve never heard anything quite like O.A.R. before. You guys have such a unique sound. One more listen and I’ll know all the words to my favorite songs by heart. Is your lyric writing based on personal experience?
JD: Definitely. Marc (the lead singer) writes about things he’s gone through that other people have. That’s a very important part. You have to be honest. You have to speak from your own experiences. Everything Marc writes about is true. The message he tries to convey is, if you’ve gone through difficult situations in your life, you may think it’s a large ordeal at the time. Don’t worry, because other people have gone through it. People see what we’re trying to do is be honest. There’s no gloss to it. What you see is what you get: Five best friends who play in a garage band. The crowd we play to happens to be bigger now. What we wear around everyday is what we wear on stage.
JH: What is it like to be touring with such well-known artists as Sheryl Crow, Train and Ziggy Marley?
JD: It seems like the perfect match for us. Even though it’s the beginning of the tour, the process is pretty hectic. We’re all still getting to know each other. We’ve all met the guys in Train. They’re really nice, and Sheryl Crow is great. She’s very personable.
JH: The cover of your new CD, “Any Time Now,” depicts a beautiful pink pastel sunset against the long road of the highway. It looks just like the sunsets in New Mexico.
JD: It was taken fairly close to New Mexico in Arizona. We took the picture when we were trying to figure out what to put on the record. We looked and saw the picture and said ‘that’s it.’ It kind of ties into the story of the Wanderer. It’s the endless road we travel … trying to get to the end of it.
JH: As one of five headliners, O.A.R. gets to play for a little less than an hour. Is that enough time for you to connect with the crowd?
JD: Being on a national tour, it’s good exposure for us. But this is a little different. We’ve never done anything like this before. Usually, we would spend more time talking to the audience. Here, it’s boom, boom, boom. We play, and it’s over. The unique thing is, afterwards, we go to the FYE tent to sell CDs. We sit and meet the fans. It’s important for us to take the time to say hello to them.
JH: Is that why your new album was recorded in front of a live audience?
JD: Yeah, we wanted to do something different. It’s no secret the band’s audience is the most important part of the whole experience. They’re why we do what we do. The fans are why I do this for a living. I draw so much enjoyment from playing music on stage.
JH: What’s the craziest thing a fan has done to get your attention along the tour?
JD: Probably the oddest thing was when we were in Charlotte during the meet-and-greet. A guy in a wheelchair came up, pulled off his leg. He put it on the table and asked us to sign it. He was a cool guy. I saw him dancing in his wheelchair with the audience. It’s crazy, there’s also this one kid that pops up in different places we tour. Whether it’s Philadelphia, Arizona, San Francisco or Chicago, he always ends up on stage to say what’s up.
JH: The fascination with extreme sports seems to be on the rise. Do you guys ever get the urge to try any of the outdoor activities in the adventure park?
JD: It’s a really unique package, where fans can experience the outdoor activities, like kayaking. You get to interact with cool outdoor sports people and see the bands on two stages. It’s the best of both worlds. I think that appeals to a lot of people, even us. When we’re done with our set, sometimes we like to wander around the park and surprise people.
JH: Tell me about your plans for the future. Where is O.A.R going?
JD: We’re going to take August and September off to start working on a new record and do songwriting. We’ll be back on tour in October through December. We’ll take some time off to kick back, but we know our fans will anxiously be awaiting our return. It’s difficult, but it’s worth it.
JH: Best friends touring and making music — what more could you want?
JD: We’re definitely in sync. Even though we were raised in different places, we’re all a lot alike. We have the same sense of humor. I’m the guy who wants to keep playing after every single show. It’s kind of nice to have the other guys to add a balance to the whole thing. We understand what we’re in this for. Out on the road, we’re family to each other. Best of friends. I love these guys to death. No matter what, we keep that mentality with each city we go to.
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April 11, 2024
