That sax appeal

Northeast Ohio native helped give road warriors O.A.R. their popular sound

Despite the fact that over the last 20 years O.A.R. has performed roughly 1,700 concerts, saxophonist and Northeast Ohio native Jerry DePizzo still can remember the island-vibe roots-rock act’s 1998 Cleveland debut at Peabody’s DownUnder. ¶ It was only a few years earlier the Liberty Township native saw his first concert, local band DINK, at the same venue. ¶ “O.A.R. was, like, the last of nine bands on the bill at Peabody’s,” said DePizzo, calling from Clearwater, Florida. “I remember there was this band of, like, high school kids that played ‘Free Bird’ to close right before us. The kid broke a guitar string and still nailed it.”

Whether a nascent O.A.R was shown up by a teenager playing a classic-rock classic isn’t important. Instead, the gig marked a new touring-distance milestone for the group, which initially formed in Maryland before all of its band members attended Ohio State University and met DePizzo during freshman orientation.

“Even though I brought my saxophone to school for the fall quarter, I didn’t think much of it,” DePizzo said. “I was more excited about my acoustic guitar.”

However, fate had a different plan. At the time, the music scene was dominated by the Dave Matthews Band, which also boasted a saxophonist in the mix.

“That certainly set the table,” DePizzo said. “The fact the other members grew up in Maryland and the Matthews guys really originated out of the Virginia area, it was like, ‘Oh, they have a sax, and Jerry plays sax.’”

Over the next few years, O.A.R.’s unusual sound grew audiences one show at the time in the Midwest and beyond. Today, the outfit, which boasts fan favorites such as “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker,” “Hey Girl,” “City on Down” and “Delicate Few,” is readying the release of its ninth studio effort, due out early next year.

The band already released the lead single, “Just Like Paradise,” which DePizzo said felt like the perfect summer song.

“We really wanted something that encapsulated our vibe,” DePizzo said. “(Singer) Marc (Roberge) played us the basic track. We said, ‘Man, that just makes a whole lot of sense, especially in the winter when it’s barren and cold and kind of pretty nasty outside and you’re wishing for summer.’”

Fans can expect to hear the new tune when O.A.R. returns to the Rock Hall City for a show Aug. 23 at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. Perhaps it would be apropos if 20 years later DePizzo and company performed their own cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” during a Cleveland performance?

“Hell, no, I’m not doing ‘Free Bird,’” DePizzo laughed. “That’s crazy. It would be a title wave of requests for it every night. Trust me, we’re pretty bullish on covers. Like we do ‘Born to Run’ in New Jersey.

“That’s a great experience. Every band should play ‘Born to Run’ in New Jersey. People just go crazy. We do (Billy Joel’s) ‘Scenes From an Italian Restaurant’ when on Long Island. That’s like Long Island’s ‘Free Bird.’”

So what’s Cleveland’s “Free Bird?”

“Maybe Joe Walsh’s ‘Rocky Mountain Way,’” DePizzo said. “It’s a great question. Oh, it’s got to be a Michael Stanley song, right?” “We really wanted something that encapsulated our vibe.” — Jerry DePizzo, O.A.R. saxophonist, on “Just Like Paradise,” the already released single from the band’s next album

SUBMITTED Expect a new album from O.A.R. early next year.