O.A.R.

The very definition of a college rock success story, O.A.R. formed in high school but flourished at Ohio State University, where they used a frat row following as a springboard for MP3-swapping fans across America. Before the band could process their growing popularity, "That Was a Crazy Game of Poker" had popped up on countless hard drives, becoming a "Gambler"-caliber anthem for the iPod generation. By 2006 — a decade after their first rehearsals — O.A.R. had sold more than a million albums, based almost solely on word-of-mouth support and standout songs like the steady stomp of "Love and Memories" and the hypnotic, head-circling sax of "Hey Girl."

With more than a decade of discs behind them, we've got enough top-notch material to fill our O.A.R. Next Steps as well.

Most artists won't release six studio albums and three live sets over the course of their entire career, let alone a little more than ten years. But that's O.A.R. for you, a band that built its dedicated following through a tireless tour schedule and a steady stream of crowd-pleasing releases, including the lo-fi, sun-baked roots rock of Soul's Aflame and The Wanderer and the boundless, lightning-in-a-bottle energy of 34th & 8th and Live from Madison Square Garden — a couple of soundboard-quality sets that are perfect for fist-pumping/lighter-lifting sessions in your very own living room. Seriously, if "About Mr. Brown" and an extended version of "So Moved On" don't make you stand in line for O.A.R. tickets the next time they're in town, nothing will.

When O.A.R. managed to sell out Madison Square Garden in 2006, people outside their faithful circle of fans were forced to ask one simple question: Who are these guys and how did they convince nearly 18,000 concertgoers to follow their every word on a Saturday night? Even The New York Times noticed, writing, "in the topsy-turvy world of major-label rock 'n' roll, O.A.R. looks less like a mainstream act and more like a bunch of scrappy outsiders." Now that they're on a major label (Atlantic) and selling more tickets than ever before, that scrappiness hasn't let up one bit. If anything, it's intensified as O.A.R. continues to conquer stages around the world and grow creatively, especially on the 2008 album All Sides, a punchy, pristinely produced leap from their D.I.Y. beginnings. Hell, if enough doubters hear that disc, these college rock vets may be playing nothing but stadiums in a couple years.