With O.A.R.\u2019s Back to Rockville Tour coming to Ravinia Fest this weekend, we caught up with Benj Gershman to discuss The Rockville LP, Chicago memories, and almost 20 years of O.A.R.\u00a0We caught a few laughs along the way too.<\/p>\n
Hey Benj, how\u2019s it going today?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m great! I\u2019m on tour with the band in Michigan. We\u2019re playing at a beautiful spot called Meijer Gardens, and it\u2019s a great day here.<\/p>\n Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to meet with us. Let\u2019s\u00a0kick things off by telling us a little bit about yourself and what you do.<\/strong><\/p>\n No problem, we love Chicago. We\u2019ve been playing shows there for several years, and it\u2019s great to get some support from the local guys, so keep it up!<\/p>\n As for me, I\u2019m Benj Gershman. I play bass for O.A.R., and I have fun in this band. We love doing what we do, and we\u2019ve been a band for going on about 20 years now. It\u2019s a pleasure. We know how lucky we are to have this in our lives. We\u2019ve had a lot of friends and peers who do the same thing, and it\u2019s not easy to stay a band. So, we work really hard while we keep it fun.<\/p>\n Awesome! You\u2019ve been called a jam band, pop rock, and Adult Top 40, but how would you<\/em> describe your sound to people who haven\u2019t heard your music?<\/strong><\/p>\n I would just tell them we\u2019re an American rock band. Short and sweet, man. Short and sweet.<\/p>\n One of your live albums, Rain or Shine, was recorded at the Charter One Pavilion in Chicago. Tell us a little bit about that experience and what made it special. <\/strong><\/p>\n That experience in Chicago was unlike anything else we\u2019ve gone through while trying to make a record. First of all, with live records there\u2019s a lot of pressure to get everything right. You need to have the feeling \u2013 the vibe of the recording \u2013 reflect the experience that\u2019s being shared between the band and the audience that night, or in that case, those nights. So, Rain or Shine became the name of the album because, literally, we were going to play that show rain or shine because we had the whole recording set up. It was kind of insane [laughs].<\/p>\n Prior to the show, we had all of these storms coming through and it was \u2013 I forget if it was the first or second night, I think it was the first night \u2013 we were just getting pummeled by rain, and we basically had to break down some of the production to keep it safe for us on stage and the audience. It was a driven adaptation of a usual show but the energy was just so present<\/em> there. The audience was so happy that we actually got to play because they were sort of, we didn\u2019t know if the fire marshal would let us have the show, and we were sort of pushing for it. Everything worked out and we just had this incredibly electric experience. I think that really reflects on that record, and that\u2019s really what Rain or Shine was. It was just a recording of this experience that we got to share with all of these wonderful audience members, and to this day, it\u2019s one of those things we\u2019re really proud of and really happy it was a part of our career.<\/p>\n Well, I\u2019ve got to say, we absolutely love the album. The energy is great.<\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you.<\/p>\n No problem. Did you know right away that you\u2019d turn that concert into a live album? What kind of planning goes into that decision?<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, for something like that, you have to bring the right recording equipment. You can\u2019t just record on the fly and hope that it\u2019s going to sound right for a release like that. So yeah, there was a lot of forethought, and it was a targeting thing, getting two nights at the venue, the purpose of that was \u2013 if we got rained out was part of it \u2013 Also, if versions of songs weren\u2019t exactly what we wanted, we had to opportunity to perform them again and get the right version down. There was a lot of coordination with our management and the other person in our crew on tour, and we just tried to make it really special with all that \u2013 just the whole picture \u2013 it was all kind of put together. It wasn\u2019t by the seat of our pants and put some music together.<\/p>\n That\u2019s always something I\u2019ve personally wondered. All of your live albums always sound so great.<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, thank you. I think a lot of that\u2019s due to the mixer of a lot of these albums \u2013 a guy named Jeff Juliano \u2013 a very talented engineer. We owe a lot to him. He\u2019s helped us define our sound through those records, and we\u2019re just really thankful for Jeff. He\u2019s a great guy and he\u2019s just been there for us over the years. I mean, our first real studio experience with Jeff was when we were working on our third studio album, Risen<\/em>, Jeff was the engineer behind it. We got to know him early on in our career, and he\u2019s remained a friend, an ally, over the course of all these different records. He\u2019s always supported us when we\u2019ve needed something, so he\u2019s a big part of how they sound and why they sound the way they do.<\/p>\n Any other memorable experiences in Chicago that you might want to mention?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, Chicago is one of those cities where we really had a ton of incredible experiences all over the place \u2013 all over the city. Our first set of sold out shows was at the House of Blues \u2013 I think it was 2001 \u2013 we were fresh out of college, starting a tour. A guy named Michael Yerke was the talent buyer over there \u2013 someone we\u2019re still in touch with, close with, great guy \u2013 and it was just such a great experience. There was a hotel right next door, and he wanted us to play three nights. It was so easy to say yes to that, believing in someone who does it professionally saying, \u201cYou guys can make this happen.\u201d We trusted him \u2013 and at this point in our career it was kind of a risk to do that many nights \u2013 but our fans really came out and supported, and he was right. We really look back on that as a turning point for, I guess, we could really take on more as a band than what we thought we were ready for and always keep looking ahead \u2013 staying ahead of the curve.\u00a0Shortly after, we played at the Eragon for the first time. We had a huge crowd over there.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve just been really lucky that such a great city \u2013 you go there and there are so many incredible things from the music, to the architecture, to people \u2013 and to go there and be inspired and experience it together, really makes us look forward to every new visit. As far as that goes, we\u2019ve always wanted to get involved with Ravinia Festival and be a part of that concert series, and this is a big thing for us. We\u2019re really looking forward to this year\u2019s concert there. It\u2019s a new thing – we\u2019ve never done it before – and it\u2019s outside the city, so we\u2019re curious how the response is. So far, everyone has been responsive – getting their tickets – and we\u2019re just looking forward to an excellent night. It\u2019s really gonna be a fun time. Actually, about an hour ago, we were working a new cover that\u2019s directly related to our generation and Chicago. So, there are a couple tricks up our sleeve for that night that will make the show an extraordinary kind of thing. We\u2019re really trying to go above and beyond for this one, so we hope people are there to enjoy it with us.<\/p>\n I\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to be great! Earlier in the interview, you mentioned that O.A.R. has been together for almost 20 years now, which is incredible. How have things changed from the beginning, and how have they stayed the same?<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, [laughs] they\u2019ve changed a lot since the beginning of our career. We were selling tapes to begin with. Then it was CDs. Then it was MP3s being traded illegally. Then it was MP3s being sold legally. Then everything was downloadable and Spotifyable. We\u2019ve seen the industry change, and as people, we\u2019ve changed. When we started this, we were high school kids \u2013 Jr. high school kids. Now we\u2019re adults with families, and it\u2019s just really a thing where our personalities have evolved, our musical tastes have evolved, our musical goals \u2013 career goals have evolved.<\/p>\n The things that have stayed the same are our passion and our bond as brothers, as friends. We have the goal of just continuing to do this, continuing to be a band making music to make people feel good. That\u2019s really the driving force behind this whole thing: trying to have a positive effect on those who we get to interact with.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a great accomplishment in itself that you guys have stayed together for this long. To maintain that passion and keep everyone on the same page \u2013 it\u2019s phenomenal that you\u2019ve been able to do that.<\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you.<\/p>\n What has been your favorite part of your career so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n Every single day<\/em> that we\u2019re doing this is my favorite part. To wake up in a new city and know that we get to do this again is kind of like \u2013 that thing of being in the moment \u2013 there are so many moments in a career like ours that are special. I would just say it\u2019s always our favorite moment in that way.<\/p>\n Your newest album, The Rockville LP, hit the shelves in June 2014, a little over a year ago. On that album, it really sounds like you guys went back to the basics, and just had fun making music. Tell us a little bit about recording the album and what it means to you.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, this record is really about connecting with where we come from. In that way, we went back to the vibe of where we started. And, I think \u2013 you can say back to the basics \u2013 but I really think the songwriting that Marc and a lot of people who were crafting this record put together really represent a much more mature songwriting & craftsmanship. I feel like we were trying to pay homage to the genre we find ourselves in, as well as painting a picture that we\u2019re still writing new music that represents where we\u2019re at in life, which is what we\u2019ve always tried to do. We get older and that perspective changes.<\/p>\n Well said. What\u2019s on your iPod right now, Benj?<\/strong><\/p>\n I just started getting into this guy named Jason Isbell. We\u2019ve crossed paths with Jason at the Lynyrd Skynyrd 45th<\/sup> Anniversary show. His music is something you can just pick up and enjoy. It\u2019s always airing on different networks. Jason is a really talented songwriter, and I\u2019ve just been listening to him. He\u2019s got some cool songs I\u2019ve never heard, and I\u2019m having fun exploring his catalog.<\/p>\n Sounds like we\u2019ll have to check him out. In the meantime, tell us something that people don\u2019t know about you.<\/strong><\/p>\n Oh boy\u2026 [laughs] wow. I don\u2019t know what people know and don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n Anything you have an interest in that\u2019s not music related?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m really into photography. I really appreciate the art of photography, capturing moments. I love film photography, and I\u2019m sad to see it kind of going away. But that\u2019s life. I saw that with our career \u2013 releasing stuff on tapes and all that kind of stuff \u2013 mediums change but the art is still there. It\u2019s cool to see people with their iPhones taking these little snaps, but it\u2019s very different from old-school true photography. So, I have a real appreciation for that art.<\/p>\n Anything else you\u2019d like to mention while we have you here?<\/strong><\/p>\n I really just appreciate you guys taking the time to do an interview and spreading the word about our show at Ravinia \u2013 that\u2019s going to be great. I\u2019m happy to connect with you guys.<\/p>\n Trust us, we\u2019re even happier to connect with you. This is incredible. Anytime you\u2019re around the Chicago area and want to connect, let us know. Thanks for stopping by.<\/strong><\/p>\n No sweat. Have a great evening and we\u2019ll see you in Chicago.<\/p>\n See you then, Benj.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to grab your tickets to O.A.R.\u2019s Back to Rockville Tour as they visit Ravinia Fest this weekend, Sunday, September 6th<\/sup>. Tickets are available for purchase at Ravinia.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n