O.A.R. – Live From Madison Square Garden (2007/Summit Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: B-     Concert: B-

 

 

O.A.R., short for Of A Revolution, is a U.S. Rock band that has become a hit among the college radio circuit, but not much beyond.  Their January 27, 2007 Live From Madison Square Garden concert has arrived on Blu-ray and seems as good as good a release as any to help the band expand from their secure, loyal audience to a broader one.  Tracks include:

 

1)     Love & Memories

2)     Untitled

3)     Hey Girl

4)     Risen

5)     Living In The End

6)     About Mr. Brown

7)     Heard The World

8)     About An Hour Ago

9)     One Shot

10)  James

11)  Anyway

12)  Dareh Meyod

13)  Something Coming Over

14)  Black Rock

15)  Lay Down

16)  That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker

17)  52-50

18)  City On Down

 

 

Though not a great band, I was surprised how good they were live and though the songs were not particularly memorable, at least they were decent and ambitious at least.  As a matter of fact, they were better that I thought they would be and understand their college appeal.  If you have never heard of them before, you might want to start with this disc because it shows them off better than a CD or DVD would and seems as good a place as any to start.

 

The 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image is not bad, but seems a little flawed and limited in its playback, with small glitches here and there, plus color and depth that are not as good other such Blu-ray concert releases.  This also applies to the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix that is not as rich or features as good a soundfield as it could.  Clear yet limited is the best way to describe it.  The combination is better than a DVD could deliver, but there is room for improvement when they do their next Blu-ray.  Extras include Behind The Backline feature look at the band, running about 88 minutes and stills.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo