Published in The Heights on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2003
You put on your Belushi College shirt, slipped into your Birkenstocks, and made the hazy trek to Conte Forum last Wednesday night to see the Roots, OAR, and Virginia Coalition. But, if you were like most of the audience, you chose to arrive just in time to see OAR take the stage. But Virginia Coalition gave the best performance of the night and heated up the arena more than a double-overtime Boston College-BU hockey game.
First onstage was Virginia Coalition, long considered the OAR, Jr. of the campus jam-band scene. Unfortunately, the file-sharing train picked up OAR in Rockville, Md., but stopped (or was shut down by the RIAA, depending on who writes the history books) before arriving at the home of Virginia Coalition: Arlington, Va.
VaCo, as referred to by its loyal fan base, gave a raucous performance, adroitly mixing elements of jam rock, salsa, and folk, even reaching so far as to incorporate its country roots. The wild set concluded with an extended percussion solo as lead guitarist Andrew Wonder, and keyboardist Paul Ottinger donned their djembes, bongos, and cowbells. With a pianist as gifted and entertaining as Ben Folds and a singer with a voice as clean and mature as James Taylor's, Virginia Coalition is well on its way to achieving Bonnaroo stardom.
Next to take the stage was OAR, the darlings of the platitudes that all college students stand for: freedom, revolution, and drinking. Best known for its never-ending anthem of carousing, "Crazy Game of Poker" (Yes, the band played it and played it well), OAR was able to show off the experience gained from its unrelenting touring.
Nevertheless, while its name is an abbreviation for "Of a Revolution," OAR neither capitalizes on its vast array of influences nor starts any waves of change for the future of music.
What OAR did provide, was a stirring eclecticism of live music and onstage frenzy that heated up the crowd and created a very personal interactive experience. "You can lose your money / You can lose your heart / But no one can touch your soul," lead singer Marc Roberge hoarsely wailed over the accomplished accompaniment of his backing quartet.
Although at times sounding like the runner-up in the Elevator Music Awards, the saxophonist showed that he has the potential to bring OAR into the mainstream. Lead guitarist Richard On, who sounded like he listened to one too many Jimmy Buffett albums, showed his proficient mimicking of the Pirate at 40 while putting on a dynamic display of fast-paced finger work.
OAR played most, if not all, of the crowd favorites, weaving from the derivative songs such as "Hey Girl," to highly technical Bob Marley covers. It received a BC stamp of approval, as more Nokias than lighters were held in the air. In a carnival-like display, OAR's set concluded with the percussive return of Ottinger and the surprise return of Wonder from Virginia Coalition.
The kids know their roots. Despite the Roots' dispassionate display, the crowd that showed up to see South Philadelphia's finest did not appear disappointed. Mostly playing tracks from their most recent album Phrenology, the Roots still took the liberty to sample the influences that inspired them to their current location as hip-hop's best.
Entrenched in the tradition of mid-to-late 20th-century music, the Roots fuse a style that is all their own. As self-proclaimed "supreme linguists" and "lyrical geniuses" they weave lines of depravity, dissolution, and dissatisfaction with the system.
To rock fans, the Roots' biggest appeal is the skilled playing of the instruments that provide the backdrop for the ingenious lyrics of lead emcee Black Thought. Meanwhile, the bassist draws heavily upon the influence of Parliament-Funkadelics and Weather Report.
In spite of their apathetic showing, the Roots took the opportunity to impress the BC crowd with onstage experimenting. Possibly the most memorable event of the evening was a 10-minute trip-hop drum solo provided by drummer ?uestlove (Ahmir Thompson) and percussionist Frank Walker in which the two went back and forth in a musical cat-and-mouse exhibition.
They stooped to a new low by covering about six or seven top-40 hits in a desperate attempt to win over the crowd and to boost record sales.
OAR entertained the crowd with its lackluster but talented synthesis of every Bob Marley album. The Roots, fronted by Black Thought (aka Tariq Trotter), got the kids dancing as enthusiastically as a geriatric convention. But those few music lovers who made the decision to show up early experienced something really pure.
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