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Rockers OAR to play Packard
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
WARREN
Rock band OAR – which includes Liberty native Jerry DePizzo on saxophone – will make its first Mahoning Valley appearance in at least 15 years when it comes to Packard Music Hall on Feb. 4.
Tickets for the 8 p.m. concert are $42 (floor) and $36.50 (reserved) and go on sale at noon Nov. 20 at the Packard box office, ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-745-3000.
OAR’s most recent release is “The Rockville LP,” its eighth studio album. The band was formed in 1996 by singer Marc Roberge, with his Rockville, Md., classmates Chris Culos, drums; Richard On, guitar; and Benj Gershman, bass. DePizzo, a 1997 Liberty High graduate, would later join the band after meeting them at Ohio State University.
The Packard concert will be unique in that fans will be able to vote on the songs. “This will be a ‘pick your set’ tour,” said DePizzo, who lives in Columbus. The Applauze website and app, a third-party ticket broker, is letting buyers pick 15 songs that they want to hear. The band will put together a set from the responses.
“We strive to make the set different every night,” said DePizzo. “Plus a large portion of our fans travel with the tour, so we want to provide variety for them, and also keep it fresh for us.” The concept builds on something that was already happening. “There are always people holding up signs at our shows with songs that they want to hear,” said DePizzo.
OAR’s only other Valley gig was at the old Varsity Club, in Youngstown’s Uptown, and DePizzo said he is excited to play his hometown again. He was in town last month for his parents’ birthdays. “We went to Caffe Capri and Alberini’s,” he said. He plans to take his band mates out to sample more of the area’s great Italian food before the Packard concert.
“We’re going to be in a food coma,” he said with a laugh. “I’m making a note now: Eat several hours before the show so we can recover.”