There are some bands that achieve great success only to flame out, while there are other bands that are able to stay around for a long time. O.A.R., which stands for Of a Revolution, is definitely the latter. They are a rock band from Maryland with a sound that never goes out of style and a drive to keep making music and performing for their fans. More than a quarter-century after the group formed, they are still churning out new albums. Perhaps more importantly, O.A.R. has never lost the joy it gets from spending summers on tour and recording live albums to release in between studio albums. That’s part of the reason why the band has managed to stay relevant after all these years and why their fans are always lining up to buy O.A.R. concert tickets every time a new tour is announced.

Staying Together

Part of the magic of O.A.R., not to mention the band’s longevity, comes from the original members staying together for the group’s entire history. The roots of the band date back to when its members were in middle school. Most of the band even attended college together at Ohio State, where they found their fifth member and the final piece of the puzzle. They’ve stuck together through good times and bad, doing so mostly out of a love for music. That much is evident for anybody who’s ever seen O.A.R. perform live. No matter how much commercial success they achieve, the band still treats every show as if they’re a bunch of kids on stage playing music for fun.

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In a way, O.A.R. owes its success because of the band’s live show. They are one of the best modern examples of a band growing in popularity by word of mouth. By becoming masters of their live show, fans of the group spread the word about them to others, creating a snowball effect. That’s how O.A.R. ended up becoming the type of band that sticks around long enough to release 10-plus albums and head out on tour every summer. It’s also the reason why O.A.R. is still one of the best bands for any music lover to check out in person every chance they get.