Recorded over the span of two evenings outdoors at Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago,
Rain or Shine boasts a 37-track playlist spilled out over four discs, which is a lot to chew on for fans of any artist, but something that
O.A.R. listeners have probably come to expect from the rootsy, reggae-infused, Maryland-based jam band. Formed in 1996 while the members were still in high school,
O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) took their shared love of
Pearl Jam to heart and managed to build the kind of fan base that relies on community rather than marketing, resulting in a decade-long tour that has taken the band clear across the globe. The material on
Rain or Shine encapsulates the group’s entire career, but like all good jam bands,
O.A.R. know how to keep things fresh by riffing on the familiar, tossing in a few choice covers, and debuting a couple of new songs. Detractors of the feel-good genre will only find more ammunition here (
Live from Madison Square Garden appeared a mere three years prior), but the group’s legion of dedicated followers will find little fault with another live album, as the stage is where
O.A.R. truly shine. ~ James Christopher Monger