O.A.R. (an acronym for the band’s full moniker, Of a Revolution) transformed itself from an independent college band to a Billboard chart-topper over the course of a long, varied career. First, two of the band’s demo recordings were hawked on university campuses. Then, news spread about the band’s roots rock and reggae-inflected songs, which owed much to the jam band genre. Before long, O.A.R.’s website had turned into a highly trafficked Internet destination, and the group gradually left the college scene for the bright lights of national stardom.