http://www.ofarevolution.comChances are if you haven’t heard O.A.R., you’ve heard of them — and if you’ve heard them, you’re a fan of their upbeat roots- and reggae-infused rock. O.A.R. stands for Of A Revolution, and the band’s relentless touring has kept them popular with their eager fans; as just one example, the group sold out Madison Square Garden in 2006, a show they captured for their Live from Madison Square Garden DVD. Riding in the keyboard chair for that and all other live gigs is the multi-talented Mike Paris, who hooked up with the band in ’05 and has been playing with them ever since. And what a wild musical journey it’s been.
SEEDS OF THE REVOLUITION
“My mom had a Baldwin upright piano in the house,” says Paris of his earliest musical experiences. “I started messing around with it, and when I was five she asked if I wanted to take lessons. I said ‘sure’ and studied classical all the way through college.” Paris started playing piano in the jazz band in seventh grade and wound up studying jazz piano and music composition at the Hartt School of Music Conservatory in West Hartford, CT. Growing up, he was inspired by piano rockers like Billy Joel, Elton John, and Bruce Hornsby, but also grew an appreciation for jazz icons like Cecil Taylor and Chick Corea. Billy Joel’s Songs in the Attic was an early fave, though Peter Gabriel, Sting, and Stevie Wonder were also in the listening mix.
For his first experience on the road, Paris landed a year-long gig touring Europe as a piano entertainer. “I had to learn a load of songs in two weeks,” he says. “The first month was all about getting my chops up. I was playing three hours a night, six days a week. I grew a lot during that year. The gig gave me a lot of stamina as a player and singer. There were many nights when my fingers were cracked and bleeding from having to pound on an inferior piano. That taught me how to work through pain while performing.” It also infused his performing attitude: “Always bring the rock, no matter how you feel.”
PINK AND STOMP
After that experience, Paris was ready to take on the next level, which in this case meant scoring a spot with pop superstar Pink on the Missundaztood tour. “I was one of two keyboardists,” he says. “I sang a little backing vocals and I had specific parts that needed to be consistently played each night. The band was great and when we played Saturday Night Live, numerous people told us that we were one of the best sounding bands supporting an artist that had played on the show. Pink was my first time playing Madison Square Garden. I also got to travel to Europe, Singapore, and Australia. Pink was a trip!”
From there, Paris jumped to a totally different kind of gig: the percussion-based theatre production Stomp. “It was incredible,” he says. “Definitely the most unique thing I’ve ever done. Learning the language of the show was daunting and it took nearly a year for me to really settle in. That was the first time that I felt that I’d ‘made it.’” The gig helped him develop as a player and earned his passport a few more stamps. “Performing the show really honed my listening and rhythmic skills,” he says.
After he had his fill of Stomp, Paris segued to his next gig playing keys with the Dan Band, a spirited, humor-filled live act with a hardcore fan base. “I laughed more playing with the Dan Band then I have on any tour before,” says Paris. “The arrangements are quite adventurous and it was challenging to program all the songs on one keyboard. I used a lot of splits.” As with his previous gigs, Paris has nothing but kind words for the Dan Band. “I am very proud of Dan and his success,” says Paris with a smile. “Getting to tour with him was both a musical journey and a personal one. They are some of the funniest and most talented people I know.”
The current gig with O.A.R. came about organically and unexpectedly. Paris was playing keys with the Dan Band on their ’05 House of Blues tour. Their manager and soundman had done some work with O.A.R. and happened to be hanging with some of their crew at the Feeling Better Than Everfine festival. They mentioned that the band was looking for a steady keyboard player for their upcoming tour, in support of the October ’05 release Stories of a Stranger, and he told them that he knew someone. “He texted me and asked if he could give them my number,” says Paris. “The band sent me all of their records and asked me to come into New York for an audition. I met with [singer and guitarist] Marc Roberge and [bassist] Benj Gershman and spoke for about 30 minutes. We seemed to hit it off and jammed on a few of the tracks from the new record. They needed to see one more guy who flew in from California and told me I’d hear from them later that night. I went to a friend’s gallery opening and studied every inch of the art to take my mind of off things. Marc called me that evening to offer me the position, and here I am.”
STUDYING UP
In order to learn the band’s music, Paris pored over all the O.A.R. records. “I used Stories of a Stranger as a springboard,” he says. “Bernie Worrell played on that record and his parts are great. I don’t play everything the same, however. Finding parts that work in a live situation is different than working in the studio. It was a slow process of finding my space and sound with the band.” So how does one fit into an already tight ensemble? “I embrace the concept of ‘less is more,’” he says. “The five of them already sound great, so anything I add has to support the journey of the songs. They pretty much have grown to trust my instincts and I’ve taken to heart the musical language of the band. That includes times when keys aren’t appropriate and I’ll float in some percussion.”
Paris’ role doesn’t require him to adhere to the same parts every night, which keeps the gig refreshing. “If I was told exactly what to play and was expected to play the same thing every show, I wouldn’t enjoy it nearly as much, nor last as long,” he says. “That’s why I was able to play in Stomp for many years. Every show was different, and that’s how it is with this band. That’s really important to me, and that’s one of the reasons that O.A.R. fans come to so many shows.”
LESSONS FROM THE ROAD
No matter how rough the road can be, Paris loves being out and about playing music. “Touring is the big payoff for me,” he says. “I get to play keyboards, play percussion, and sing for two-plus hours a night? That’s pure euphoria.” But unless you’re in shape, that euphoria can be short lived. “I sleep a lot on the road, try to eat well, and do regular exercise,” he says. And to burgeoning road dogs, he adds this advice: “Take your vitamins. Get out of the bus or van and experience your environment. I go out on picture-taking excursions and find cool places to hike. Don’t party every night. Write. And practice!”
For Paris, rapport with his band mates is a key element of enjoying life on the road. “Playing music with the guys has been one of the most rewarding musical experiences for me,” says Paris. “Like the band, I take making music very seriously and love what I do. I don’t like to rush things, both with music and friendships. I greatly respect what the guys have built and try to have an awareness of how I fit into that.” Feeling the respect of the band and its fans equals a happy and centered playing experience for Paris.
Paris knows what a long, strange trip becoming a successful touring player can be, but he encourages other musicians to do their homework, climb in that van, and take the show on the road. “Don’t be afraid to work on other skills that can have a profound effect on your playing and career,” he says. “Remember that pianos and keyboards are rhythmic instruments. I embraced rhythm at an early age and did the whole body percussion, pots-and-pans-in-the-kitchen thing. Stomp solidified my rhythmic abilities, which affected my piano playing in a good way.” He adds, “I also embraced the concept that as long as I’m doing something that has to do with music, I’m happy. That sent me on all sorts of interesting journeys that seemed, at the time, to have very little to do with what I went to school for. However, I wound up growing as a musician, as well as a person.” If possible, Paris says, don’t stay home! “Travel to Europe and other countries,” he encourages. The most important advice he repeats for emphasis: “Listen, listen, listen.”
THE NEXT REVOLUTION
So what’s next for O.A.R.? The band will be on the road this year, as always, and has a number of interesting projects in the works. “I’m really proud to have been a part of Live From Madison Square Garden and I hope to get into the studio,” says Paris. “I also have a solo project that I’ve been working on. Benj Gershman has a record label called Look At Life Records and has released my solo record Flow. It features a style of playing the acoustic guitar I’ve developed called ‘guitar drumming.’” We’ll be interested to hear how that turns out and, in the meantime, we’ll look for Paris and O.A.R. on the road.
Before we part, Paris adds, “I hope to be making music with the guys for a long time and I’m excited to see how the music continues to evolve.” With Mike Paris behind the keys, that evolution should be truly exciting to hear.
Mike Paris’ Revolutionary Rig
Paris bases his rig around a Clavia Nord Electro 73 to his right and a Yamaha S90 ES topped by an M-Audio 88es controller to his left. The M-Audio controller is MIDIed to a rack-mounted Proteus 2000 module that runs through a personal Mackie mixer behind his riser. To the right of the Nord is a full percussion rig.
Though Paris always seems to have a blast on stage, there are moments when things don’t go as planned. “I had a faulty power supply for my M-Audio controller,” he says. “It was the last show of one of the tours in 2006. The board decided to freak out and tripped up my module, which sustained a high organ note at the end of one song. I thought it was Richie’s guitar doing something different and didn’t realize it was me for a good ten seconds, which might as well have been ten minutes! That pretty much sucked.” He thinks for a moment, then adds, “Oh, and getting shot with a BB gun was pretty bad, too.”
For more on O.A.R., visit www.ofarevolution.com.
To catch up with Mike, visit www.mikelparis.com.