Ravinia 2019, Issue 7, Week 15

Left to right: Benj Gershman, Jerry DePizzo, Marc Roberge, Chris Culos, Richard On Roberge and On jam out during O.A.R.’s 2015 Ravinia debut. Gregg Wattenberg and PomPom (Kellen Pomeranz), which was released earlier this year and serves as the worthy fol- low-up to ’s XX . “I mean, ‘Turn It Up Slow’ is inspired by those movies and pretty much that whole area,” DePizzo con- tinues. “When we got in the studio to record the new album, the initial vibes were that this music was going to harken back to that ’ s sound, and every song on this new album really followed that theme. We would have Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller’s Day O on the big screen in the studio. It really earthed ‘Turn It Up Slow’ and so many others.” [ e modernist Ben Rose House in Highland Park was lmed as Ferris main character Cameron Frye’s home, where the memorable scene of a Ferrari GT California crashing through the glass walls and falling into a ravine below occurred.] FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES, the Maryland-formed vesome of De- Pizzo and his bandmates Marc Roberge (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Richard On (lead guitar, backing vocals), Chris Cu- los (drums), and Benj Gershman (bass) have long led a revival of sorts both in their songwriting and the powerful way they perform those songs onstage. “Our mantra has always been to have our audience leave our show feeling better than when they got there,” says DePizzo. “ at can happen in a club or a theater or a huge venue. Regardless of the noise occurring outside those walls, we are dedicated to making this a safe and liberating space for a few hours. People get berated by so much these days. is is where you can go to get away. It’s our core message.” And it’s this message that comes through loud and clear on the band’s current summer tour alongside American Authors and Rozzi, which makes its nal stop at Ravinia on August . RUSSELL JANKINS/RAVINIA (2015) 12 RAVINIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 26, 2019 – MAY 9, 2020