Phillip Phillips hoping to create ‘good time’ in concert with O.A.R.

Alexis Hill
Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:53:26 +0000
Campus, american idol, Columbus, LC Pavilion, o.a.r., phillip phillips

Phillip Phillips performs at the 90th National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Ellipse behind the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, December 6, 2012.
Credit: Courtesy of MCT

“I don’t think I’m cool enough to have a theme (for my show),” 23-year-old musician Phillip Phillips said, as he prepares for his upcoming co-headlining tour with O.A.R.

The Georgia native said he still gets a little nervous when he’s up on stage performing his first song.

“After that, I like to have a good time, act crazy, dance and just have fun,” Phillips said, adding that he encourages his fans to do the same.

“We’re very musical, we like to jam and have a good time,” Phillips said.

Phillips and O.A.R. are set to make a tour stop at Lifestyle Community Pavilion Tuesday.

O.A.R. has strong ties to Columbus, as all five members of the band attended Ohio State.

Jerry DePizzo, the band’s saxophonist, still lives in Columbus because it’s “home.”

“For me the bar gets raised every time I play a show in Columbus,” DePizzo said.

O.A.R. will be playing the new songs off the album with some of their older songs for the tour, DePizzo said.

“If you went to see O.A.R. in 2002 and watch our show in 2014, it’s going to be quite different,” DePizzo said. “We challenge ourselves every summer to do something different.”

O.A.R.’s latest album, “The Rockville LP,” was released Tuesday.

There is a possibility that fans might catch DePizzo, or other members of the band, before the show in Columbus.

“I like to go to Hyde Park on Old Henderson and if I need something quick and easy, I go to the Rusty Bucket,” DePizzo said.

Phillips said there is also a possibility fans might catch him at three or four local restaurants before the show because he likes to eat a lot.

“If you find me, you can just kind of slap me, put a sign on my back that I don’t really know about,” Phillips joked.

Fans also might also get a chance to chat with him, as they’re waiting in line for the concert.

“I like to talk to fans before the show if they’re waiting at the gates,” Phillips said. “I like to get the vibe of the crowd.”

Marissa Luther, marketing director for PromoWest Productions Columbus, said O.A.R. has performed at the LC Pavilion numerous times, however this will be the first time Phillips will be performing there.

“We are always happy to welcome O.A.R. and Phillip Phillips will be a great addition,” Luther said.

Jon Chiang, a recent graduate from OSU, with a degree in human resource management, said he is excited that Phillips is making a stop in Columbus.

“I first found out about him from ‘American Idol’ and have been following him ever since,” Chiang said.

Phillips first rose to fame after winning the reality singing competition’s 11th season in 2012.

Chiang said he likes that Phillips is from the South. “I’m from Tennessee, so it’ll be nice to have that Southern vibe in Ohio,” Chiang said.

Like O.A.R., Phillips said he plans to play new songs from his latest album, “Behind the Light,” along with older songs from his debut album, “The World from the Side of the Moon.”

His first album debuted fourth on the BillboardTop 200 in 2012. ?His latest album features the lead single “Raging Fire,” which debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in March.

Phillips said he hopes his music “can help people get through anything in their lives, the good or the bad.”

DePizzo said what he’d like people take away from O.A.R.’s music and upcoming show in Columbus “is that the band is the best it’s ever been.”

Phillips said he hopes that everyone will just have some fun.

“Even if you have a bad time getting there and traffic sucks or something, hopefully when you get there, it’ll equal a good time,” Phillips said.

Phillips’ co-headline summer tour with O.A.R., will kick off Thursday in St. Louis.

Their Columbus concert is set to take place Tuesday, June 17 at the LC Pavilion. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are available through ticketmaster.com and prices are set at $39.50 in advance and $42.00 on the day of the show.