O.A.R., 9:30 Club, Washington, DC

Back to the Black Rock

A lot of time has passed since my carefree high school days of driving around Harrisburg in my white Honda Accord, listening to O.A.R., which for a time I thought was pronounced as an instrument to row a boat rather. So going to an O.A.R. show always brings back a few of those memories. The experience this time around was amplified by the presence of Ben Summers, a childhood friend who was often riding shotgun during those days back in the suburbs. We had not seen a show together in quite a while, so it was a treat to have him along, especially for O.A.R. when so many other bands that we listened to back in high school had since fallen by the wayside.

Their set started off with “Ladanday,” from their 1997 debut album, The Wanderer. We of course were hoping to hear as much pre-2003 O.A.R. as possible and they certainly threw in plenty. We would have liked to hear nothing but selections from their first three albums, but seeing as how they’ve steadily released albums every two to three years since then, it wasn’t really a reasonable expectation. They did grace us with quite a few including “Missing Pieces,” “Dareh Meyod,”Delicate Few, and “Night Shift.” And of course there were regular O.A.R. staples like “Hey Girl” and “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker.” Though they (and we) have aged quite a bit, it was still a good, long set filled with much of the same energy that I remember. Though an O.A.R. show doesn’t hold the same appeal for me now as it did over a decade ago (their September 4, 2001 show at Crocodile Rock in Allentown, Pennsylvania still ranks as one of my favorite concerts ever), it was still great to get to take a little trip down memory lane.

Setlist:
Ladanday

Missing Pieces

Heard the World

Lay Down

Taking On the World Today

Dareh Meyod

One Shot

Gotta Be Wrong Sometimes

Hey Girl

Road Outside Columbus

The Last Time

Heaven

Woke Up an Uncle

Wonderful Day

Favorite Book of Poetry

That Was a Crazy Game of Poker

Over and Over

Shattered (Turn the Car Around)

Encore:

Delicate Few

Night Shift

Millennium Music Conference & Showcase, Radisson Hotel & The Fieldhouse, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

It's confirmed: There are worthwhile concerts in Harrisburg

The Millennium Music Conference & Showcase is an annual Harrisburg event that features three days of panels, clinics, workshops, mentoring, demo listening sessions, and a music business trade show for artists and others in the music industry. Each night the conference showcases new music and emerging talent by original acts and artists. For the second year in a row, Michael and I attended some of the performances at one of the dozen venues in the Harrisburg area hosting an event. This year, we decided to attend an event at a Radisson Hotel on the west shore (where I realized upon arrival that my high school prom was held), which would feature three stages of music for the evening.


Though there was a $20 cover charge, which was a change of pace from last year, there was also the opportunity to see a whole lot more bands. Boxcar Social, from Hanover, Pennsylvania, was on stage when we arrived. We caught a few minutes but I could tell pretty quickly that Michael was not into their mix of rock, funk, jam, and bluegrass, so we quickly moved on. We next moved to a bar/lounge featuring guitar soloists. The first was Nathan Johnson, from Lewes, Delaware, playing a few of his own solid tunes in the pop/rock/folk/singer-songwriter realm. Next up was Alex Brubaker, from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, who specialized in a type of guitar playing, called Percussive Fingerstyle, that in addition to plucking the strings directly with the fingertips and fingernails instead of a traditional pick, incorporates sharp attacks on the strings, as well as hitting the strings and guitar top with the hand for percussive effect. I was already familiar with the style most notably from John Butler’s music including his solo instrumental masterpiece, “Ocean.” Again, I enjoyed it immensely, but Michael was not as impressed.

We next caught a bit of Newark, Delaware based rockers Electric Blue Concept. Both Michael and I thought they were a solid act. I liked their use of the violin and thought their lead singer had a very good rock voice. At the end of their set, we moved back to the main stage to catch Hog Maw, a York, Pennsylvania bluegrass, jam band. Their all-string quartet, as well as all the dancing hippies, reminded me of Yonder Mountain String Band show. Again, I was enjoying the show but Michael not as much. We decided to leave the Radisson and trek out to another venue, the Fieldhouse in nearby Etters, Pennsylvania, about 15 minutes away.

The Fieldhouse was a moderately sized bar with a single stage. Harrisburg based Day Taunt took the stage soon after we arrived, playing a mix of alternative rock, grunge, and metal. The harder edge was a more along the lines of what Michael was looking for. I was not blow away but they had great enthusiasm. There were initial some acoustic problems which did not help. However, I think their one fatal flaw was leading off with a Foo Fighters cover, leading me to believe that they were a cover band. However, after they opened, they played all original songs. If you otherwise want to play all your own music, you can end on a cover, but you don’t start with one. We decided to leave after Day Taunt finished their set, so I did not get to finish the pitcher of beer I had purchased. I was happy to hand off the bulk of it to the Day Taunt lead singer as he was finishing his set.