When classes start, O.A.R. heads back to campus.

O.A.R.

“Usually every fall and spring, we go out and [play] colleges, and that’s something that we really enjoy doing because that’s where we cut our teeth and that’s where we got our start,” said saxophonist Jerry DePizzo.

It was in Columbus, Ohio, where O.A.R. (Of A Revolution) started building its fan base and its reputation as a live band. Singer-guitarist Marc Roberge, guitarist Richard On, drummer Chris Culos and bass player Benj Gershman graduated from high school in Rockville, Md., and decided to go to Ohio State University, where DePizzo was taking classes.

“There was always a special spark about O.A.R.,” DePizzo said during a phone interview from his Columbus home. “I was O.A.R.’s biggest fan, then I got to be in the band.”

The sax man joined in 2000. Since then, the group that mixes rock and reggae has recorded five studio releases and three live discs.

With 2008’s “All Sides,” the quintet achieved mainstream success, thanks to the hits “Shattered (Turn the Car Around)” and “This Town.”

DePizzo talked about recording the disc with producer Mat Wallace, known for his work with Maroon 5 and The Replacements.

“Mat Wallace did a great job. He was a great fit for us. He brought a blue-collar work ethic to the table,” DePizzo said. “We just threw material at him, and he sifted through it to pick out the things that worked. That made the record better.

“We knew we were going to have some radio-friendly stuff, that’s where you have your ‘Shattered’ and your ‘One Day’ and ‘This Town,’” DePizzo continued. “We wanted to make stuff where people would debate which is the best song. We wanted to make album tracks that had no shot of being on the radio like ‘War Song’ or ‘Whatever Happened.’”

The band just finished mixing a live, four-disc set recorded over two nights in Chicago.

“It’s a great representation of where the band is right now,” DePizzo said of the forthcoming release. “It’s almost like a greatest hits album because it spans so much material. We’re really proud of it and really excited for people to hear it.”

O.A.R. will play at The University of Toledo Savage Arena Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. Elmwood will open the show. Tickets are $27.50 for the public and $17.50 for UT students with ID. All tickets will be $32.50 day of the show.

For more information, contact the UT Savage Arena Ticket Office at 419.530.4653.

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