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The band was formed in 1996 with Marc Roberge and Chris Culos, they would then go on to recruit members Richard On and Benj Gershman. During this period they recorded their debut album "The Wanderer" this has received the ratings of 3 stars by AllMusic.
After graduating from high school the band members moved to study at he Ohio State University, while there they met Jerry DePizzo and soon he joined the band. With Jerry now in the band they would go on to record their second album "Soul's Aflame"
After the release of their albums the band played at many shows, relying purely on word of mouth they slowly built themselves up an audience that were interested with them after playing at various events and for sororities. This buzz about the band made sure that their third album was a success as it went straight to number 11 on the Billboard Top Internet Sales.
It was all uphill from here as the fifth album "Stories of A Stranger" received a 3 out of 5 stars rating from Allmusic and managed to peak at number 40 on the Billboard 200.
In 2008 the bands song "Love Is worth the Fall" could be heard on the deluxe edition soundtrack for the film Twilight.
Born 4 February 1977 in South Fallsburg, New York, US, Gavin began his music endeavors at the age of 8 singing and playing the piano. Though his parents were not involved in music (his father was a prison guard and his mother was a detox specialist) he did receive musical inspiration form his older brother Joey, who is also a musician in addition to a venue owner and founder of a record label.
Gavin’s older brother gave him the push to pursue music and with him he formed several cover bands. Later on Gavin moved to Massachusetts to attend Berklee School of Music. By the late 90s Degraw rigorously began writing his own material and started to gain a following through his frequent live performances. It was not long until he was recognized by labels. Degraw eventually ended up signing a contract with Clive Davis and put out his 2003 debut album “Chariot” through J Records. The album was an instant critical and commercial success and became even more popular once the hit single “I Don’t Want to Be” was used as the theme song for the 2005 television show “One Tree Hill”. With the resurgence of that single, “Chariot” reached platinum status and charted No. 1 on the US Billboard Top Heatseekers.
Degraw’s next album did not come out until 5 years later. Despite the wait, his self-titled sophomore release debuted at No.1 on the digital sales chart and No.7 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart. Degraw wasted no time at all putting out his third full length album. He recorded the entire album at the studio of his producer, Camus Celli, in less than two weeks and released it on 6 May 2009 (making it less than a year between the release of his last album). “Free” was not as commercially successful as his last two albums; however, it still managed to do commercially well, peaking at No. 19 on the US Billboard 200 charts.
Degraw switched record labels with the release of his fourth album and contrary to “Free” he recorded the album in multiple studios around the world, recruiting the help of producers Ryan Tedder, Butch Walker, Eric Rosse and Ron Aniello. The album contained the widely acclaimed single “Not Over You”, which became his first song to reach the top spot on the Adult Pop Songs chart.
In 2012 DeGraw collaborated with pop star Colbie Cailat for “Baby It’s Cold Outside” on her “Christmas in the Sand” album and did another joint effort with her for the Grammy nominated song “We Both Know”; which was featured in the “Safe Haven” soundtrack.
Degraw released his second album for RCA, “Make a Move” on 15 October 2013. Like his previous releases it did well on the charts reaching No. 79 in the UK and climbing all the way to No.10 on the US Billboard 200. The success of this album was followed by a US tour in support of Train. In 2014 Degraw released his greatest hits album “Finest Hour: The Best of Gavin DeGraw”. This compilation featured a well distributed mix of material including newer songs such as “You Got Me”, which was originally written for the “Dolphin Tale 2” movie.
O.A.R. is one of my all time favorite bands! I have so many good memories from their music that I could go on and on about! Unfortunately I have only seen them once but it was a night I will never forget; January 27, 2007 at Madison Square Garden.
I am not usually a fan of huge venues like this, as I usually feel like smaller venues are more intimate and it’s a more emotional experience, but this was one of the best nights of my life. O.A.R. hit so many of their classics that night including my all time favorite “That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker” as their last song before the encore. The energy was incredible and the entire concert just had an overall feel great type of attitude to it.
As a musician, hearing Marc Roberge’s voice is like tasting chocolate for the first time. I can only wish I could have vocal abilities like that. Their music is generally just so uplifting and healthy.
If you are a fan of rock, you need to check this band out. As I said before, you just can’t listen to O.A.R. without feeling incredible. I give this concert a 10/10 experience and thinking about it now, I am upset I haven’t been able to go to another O.A.R. show.
Gavin DeGraw is one of those artists you have to see live to truly appreciate the depth of his talent. Whether he’s rocking the stage with a full band, or he’s just sitting at the piano singing along to an old Sam Cooke tune, his voice will hook you from the first note. Unlike many of the radio acts out there today, Gavin is one of those rare talents that sounds even better live than he does on the radio.
With an eclectic mix of his own original songs and soulful covers, Gavin rocks the stage like no other. His energy pulls directly from the crowd so the more engaged and interactive the crowd, the better his show gets. He might even throw in a surprise performance of “Let’s Get It On,” an old favorite from his days as a poor musician playing for tips in New York City. At a recent show in Nashville, he even brought along country superstar Martina McBride to sing with him on his hit “Soldier.”
There’s an intimacy to his style that sucks you into his circle and makes your feel like you’re the only person in the crowd. Don’t be surprised if you hear a story or two about his love of Billy Joel or his musings on relationships (spoiler alert: he doesn’t seem to think he’s very good at them). He’s been known to wander out in the crowd and hang out with the audience while he plays.
His passion for his craft and his love for his fans is unparalleled. You will leave wondering why you waited so long to check out a Gavin show and when you can go back for another one.
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