O.A.R. at Meadow Brook Music Festival

Last night, we spent an evening taking it easy in preparation for a rockin' Sunday evening as we returned to one of our favorite "healthy" pizza joints, Amici's, and to the ever-friendly Berkeley Front, where I was fired up to have a black and tan!  We always joke about that bar as a great place to try a new beer and meet a new friend.  It seems every time we've gone, some random guy or gal has struck up a decent conversation with us.  Last night was no exception, but we manged to escape in time to catch the bus home!

Tonight, we opted for a private (and free) parking spot behind Meadowbrook Festival near Meadowbrook Hall. We're not sure why more people haven't picked up on this, but if you enter on Adams Rd. for the Hall, you can weave your way around to wear the buses and VIPs park for the Festival.  Down below that area is another random parking lot that is as far as we know unmanned and free!  Free stuff!

Anyway, the benefit of our parking spot tonight paid dividends as we entered through the back gates, we noticed that the boys from O.A.R. we're having their pre-show party most likely with the VIPs literally right near the entrance in a roped off tent.  We were less than 100ft. from the boys and I felt awkward even attempting to take a photo, but naturally I did.

We did our usual walk-around the festival grounds while listening to the subtle jamming melodies of the opener, Citizen Cope, who I have to admit was so much better than last year.  And as the sun started to settle behind the trees, O.A.R. launched into their opening song "Untitled".

For the fourth year in a row now, we've seen O.A.R. play in Metro Detroit (Summer of 2007 at Freedom Hill, Summer of 2008 at Meadowbrook, and Fall of 2009 at Meadowbrook) and this set list might be the winner so far. The boys weren't fresh off a new album, so they were primed and pumped to play just about whatever they wanted, but you know the fan favorites came out just at the right moments. This show had a nice flow to it and unlike last year, they kept us on our toes the entire night. I was lucky to find a slow song in the middle to make a quick bathroom run!  Nicely done.  More pictures in my photo album.

Here's the set list (thanks to this great site OARSA.org):

1. Untitled
2. Hey Girl
3. About An Hour Ago
4. Whose Chariot?
5. Love And Memories
6. Here's To You
7. Dareh Meyod
8. This Town
9. Coalminer
10. Anyway *
11. Shattered (Turn The Car Around)
12. That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker
13. Mr. Moon ->
14. About Mr. Brown
Encore:
15. Over And Over ~
16. Black Rock (What I Am Tag)
17. City On Down