The Obligatory OAR at BoA Summer Post

Yes, I know, we saw OAR again.  I know people think I’m crazy, but I really don’t care.  It wasn’t too long ago that I remember saying to J – I don’t even know if there’s a band I’d want to go to see in concert.  Then I found OAR, and I was hooked.  I love that I know most of their songs and can sing along.  And I love that their shows are all different.  Sure, some things are the same – you’ll always hear Poker, usually last or next to last, and there will always be some sort of cover – but every show is different.  I own about ten versions of That Was a Crazy Game of Poker to prove it.

This year, the show was on a Saturday, and I was not giantly pregnant, so we made a night of it.  We ditched the dog at the kennel (best $60 ever), and the baby at my parents (where she ate a ton of food, conned them in to buying her things, and didn’t even realize we were gone), and headed up to Boston.  We got a good deal on a room at the Westin, grabbed a beer at the bar, and headed towards the Harpoon brewery, which was closed.  So we went to the roof bar at Legal Harborside (aka the DB Deck), where worlds collided – I was with my college friends, old work friends, and family – nothing drastic, but worlds colliding sounds cool.  From there, we needed food, and got stuck at Atlantic Beer Garden, which sucks.  But, I got to see a friend I hadn’t seen in too long, and then, it was show time!

Our seats were great, the weather was perfect, and OAR, as always, was great.  They played all my favorites (including Irish Rose) and only one song from their newest album, which J was happy about.  I didn’t get an up close Marc performance like last year, but Jerry (the sax player) came down our aisle.  Unfortunately, some guy pushed his way past us and blocked our view.  At the end of the show, they brought the two opening acts (Andrew McMahon & Allen Stone) and their bands up on stage for Under Pressure and Live & Let Die.  It was the most different end to a show I’ve seen, and it was great.  Another great show in the books!

From there, we walked back to the hotel, pretended to go get a drink, and crashed.  The next morning we slept till 8:30 (!), had coffee in bed, went for a walk, to brunch, and to the Harpoon Brewery before heading home to pick up our beasts.  It was a much-needed, relaxing weekend away.  J thinks he’s “over” OAR, but I’m sure I can talk him into another show next summer…if not sooner!