O.A.R.

O.A.R. (short for Of A Revolution) is an American rock band best known for marathon live shows and such jam-oriented songs as “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker.” ∙ Most of O.A.R.’s members began playing music together in middle school, and they recorded their first album, 1997’s The Wanderer, while attending college. ∙ “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker,” an eight-minute folk- and reggae-influenced track from The Wanderer, became a college radio hit and turned O.A.R. into a popular touring act. ∙ Their independently released third album, 2001’s Risen, sold so well just from touring and word-of-mouth that Lava Records offered O.A.R. a deal. ∙ The hard-driving 2005 hit “Love and Memories” was cowritten with Glen Ballard, who had previously written hits with Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, and Dave Matthews Band. ∙ O.A.R. scored their biggest radio hit with 2008’s “Shattered (Turn the Car Around),” which sold more than 1 million copies and reached No. 36 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. ∙ The band has had three Top 20 albums in the US: 2008’s All Sides, 2011’s King, and 2014’s The Rockville LP.