Upon arrival, you’d think there wasn’t much going on at Darien Lake Amphitheater, but once you entered the venue, it was a whole different story. It was pretty packed inside and fans were scrambling around to get to their seats before O.A.R came on. You could see the dividing wall between casual concert goers and ones who were die hard based on the shirts or what they sang, for every song that both bands played that night. Whichever side you fell on, you were not to be disappointed by the upcoming performances.
Train is led by singer/guitarist Pat Monahan and the stage made it clear who was in charge. Except for a couple of occasions, everybody stayed on their designated risers, leaving the front of the stage to Monahan. He’s full of stage tricks, seeing which side of the crowd can sing louder or turning a video camera onto the audience. During the song “If It’s Love,” Pat grabbed cell phones from the audience and would take a selfie while flawlessly singing the song. He also brought out Natasha Bedingfield to sing the song “Bruises” and it was a perfect duet to say the least.
O.A.R.’s music is a genial blend of straightforward rock and light reggae. They are a six-piece band from Rockville, Maryland and a mighty band indeed. From start to finish, their presence was strong and most members had quite the facial expressions and charisma. Guitarist Richard On was engaging with the crowd and even at one point tossed a pick to a little girl in the front row. Vocalist Marc Roberge was all smiles during the show and had the fans singing along with him swaying to and fro. The night went without a hitch and not one individual seemed to leave displeased by the night’s performances.
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