Ravinia 2019, Issue 7, Week 15

THE FIVE MEMBERS OF O.A.R. may have a variety of roots running through the soil of various cities and states across the country, but as far as they are concerned, Highland Park will always be a home away from home for them. “When we go to Ravinia, it’s essentially a hometown show for us,” explains Jerry DePizzo, who handles saxophone, guitar, and backing vocals for the now 23-year-old band. “We absolutely love it there. We have so many great friends in the Highland Park area, and Ravinia itself is such a unique place. It really has its own vibe and its own culture. It’s kind of like Red Rocks [Amphitheatre in Colorado] in that way. We are always thrilled to go there and experience it all.” But there is another reason Highland Park stands out for O.A.R.—why this magical place has grabbed a piece of their heart and held it for so long, why this North Shore suburb of Chicago continues to have an effect on the trajectory of the down-and-dirty band and its music. It all goes back to Sixteen Candles . “We were raised on the movies of John Hughes,” chuckles DePizzo, who actually grew up in Columbus, OH, but admit- ted to Ravinia before O.A.R.’s venue debut in 2015 that he once hopped the festival’s fence with a Highland Park–based friend some years earlier. “That time had so much influence over us.” All you have to do is listen to the song “Turn It Up Slow” off of O.A.R.’s 10th studio album The Mighty , co-produced by AUGUST 26, 2019 – MAY 9, 2020 | RAVINIA MAGAZINE 11