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It’s Josh Jove’s birthday, but he’s not out to dinner with friends and family- he’s on stage, guitar in hand, with the rest of his band mates of Between the Trees opening for O.A.R. at the UCF Arena . Many of the people in the crowd know the band since their hometown is Orlando, but the introduction to new songs has fans gripping tightly to the barricades, jumping up and down to the beat.
Purple and red lights rain down on singer Ryan Kirkland , drummer Josh Butler , keyboardist Wesley Anderson , bassist Jeremy Butler and Jove on guitar as the energy on stage can be felt throughout the stadium.
Beginning in 2005, the band’s original members performed locally at small venues around the Orlando area, their fan base swiftly growing. This isn’t just another mediocre band; their steady rise in popularity amongst fans of all genres is now taking them overseas for a tour with Kids In Glass Houses in June.
Their first album, The Story and The Song, released in July of 2006, and not long produced two singles, The Way She Feels and White Lines and Red Lights, both performed at the Arena.
Nothing compares to the band’s stage presence as a whole. Their command of whatever area they are given is phenomenal. That combined with crowd participation on songs such as Words and the heart-wrenching love song Darlin’¸ offers a rare kind of entertainment; a part separated from mainstream with the same passionate emotion emanating from the stage.
“I never have heard them before, but after the show I went out to the [merchandise] table and bought their CD,” 19 year old Lucy Samperton said of Between the Trees. “They were a great opener for O.A.R.”
The wait between acts led to an anxious crowd, shifting in their seats and chanting for the headline to begin. People tried to guess the set list, a near impossible task, since O.A.R, an abbreviation for Of A Revolution, has been producing successful music since 1996. Old school fans worried that their new, changed sound would be the focus of the tour, but songs such as That Was A Crazy Game of Poker and Whose Chariot? held an important spot on the list.
Their sound has softened to a more pop feel rather than the Reggae-toned originality, which has led many alum fans disheartened. Nevertheless, their new single Shattered off of their newly released album All Sides had the entire Arena on its feet. The sound may be different, but the lyrics are just as strong and relatable without succumbing to the poseur-adolescent genre.
O.A.R would be lackluster without the genius of their brass integration. Jerry DePizzo’s talent on the saxophone would receive standing ovations if fans were not already out of their seats. As his face turns red from holding long notes, screams are heard over the soulful sound.
“This is a love song,” singer Marc Roberge says mysteriously. “You’ve got to love love songs.” It’s the beginning of Dareh Meyod, the first song on their 2003 album In Between Now and Then, an album that begins and ends with a thunderstorm. Roberge’s eyes connect with the crowd as the lyrics flow out of his mouth and into the microphone. His words reverberate the walls and seats echo as the strings on his guitar are about to break from the intensity from his fingers. This song was not meant for the weak hearted.
Even though there are over fifty songs to choose from, O.A.R. opted to close their first set with a Beatles tribute, an edgier I Get By. Like the songs that came before it, everyone knows the words. Lighters illuminate singing mouths. Even after its conclusion, no one moves, for an encore is expected, and there is no disappointment.
Whether you’re a new fan or an original, it’s undeniable that the performance at the Arena was well worth the five and a half hours. Between the Trees will be back in Orlando for Rock the Wreath on November 4, and O.A.R is continuing their tour across the country, ending in Los Angeles.
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