O.A.R. in Salt Lake City

About O.A.R.

O.A.R. started as a high school garage project in Rockville, Maryland in the late 90s and became one of the more durable mid-tier rock bands of their generation. They built a devoted fanbase through relentless touring and a loose, guitar-driven sound that borrowed from classic rock and jam band aesthetics without committing fully to either lane. Their breakthrough came in the mid-2000s with radio-friendly tracks like Crazy, which got decent MTV rotation and introduced them to people outside their touring circuit. They've since released a steady stream of albums that lean variously into pop-rock accessibility or heavier guitar work depending on the record. What's notable about O.A.R. is how deliberately they've maintained their independence and direct relationship with fans through tours, rather than chasing chart dominance. They're the kind of band people see multiple times because the shows feel like conversations rather than performances, with setlists that vary night to night.

Their crowds tend toward the enthusiastic and familiar, with people who know the band inside-out mixed with friends along for the ride. Shows stretch long with extended jams and tangents. There's a palpable sense of permission in the room to just let loose, though it rarely feels chaotic. More sing-alongs than mosh pits.

Known for Crazy, Love and Memories, Shattered, Any Kind of Way, That Was a Crazy Game of Poker

O.A.R. + Salt Lake City

O.A.R. rolled through Red Butte Garden last August, delivering a solid 19-song set that leaned into both the obvious moves and some deeper territory. They opened with "Dangerous Connection" and spent the night threading together crowd-pleasers like "Atlantic City" and "Hey Girl" with the kind of mid-career deep cuts that keep people coming back. "Peace" and "About an Hour Ago" landed with the kind of weight that suggests these songs mean something to the band, not just the setlist. They closed out the evening with "Missing Pieces," which felt like the right note to end on—reflective, earned, not trying too hard.

O.A.R. in Salt Lake City News

• Dispatch & O.A.R. Announce Summer Tour 2022 Pre-Party Livestream Shore Fire Media · May 19, 2022
• Red Butte Garden announces 2022 summer concert series lineup FOX 13 News Utah · Apr 12, 2022
• Dispatch and O.A.R. Announce Summer 2022 Co-Headlining Tour Relix · Dec 1, 2021
• Dispatch & O.A.R. Announce Co-Headlining Summer Tour 2022 JamBase · Dec 1, 2021
• O.A.R. Announces Extensive 2019 U.S. Summer Tour Live For Live Music · Feb 13, 2019

Live Music in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City's music scene has a solid foundation for jammy, improvisational rock. The local crowd appreciates bands that build their own world rather than just play hits, and venues here have hosted their share of touring acts in that vein. O.A.R.'s blend of rock and funk should find receptive ears among people already tuned into the city's deeper music channels.

Salt Lake City road trip to see O.A.R.?

Stay in the Avenues neighborhood—tree-lined streets with actual character, close enough to downtown but removed from the noise. For dinner, Lazy Dog in Sugar House serves exceptional Colorado lamb and maintains a wine list that doesn't insult your intelligence. Spend an afternoon at the Natural History Museum of Utah in Red Butte Canyon; the building itself is architecturally stunning and the collection gives real context to the landscape you're actually standing in. The city's proximity to actual mountains matters when you've got downtime.