O.A.R., the band, is winning big at the Olympics
After evidence of a massive, state-run doping problem in Russia was uncovered during the 2014 Winter and 2016 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee decided that the Russian athletes who tested clean could only compete in PyeongChang as “Olympic Athletes from Russia.’’
This had one unintended consequence.
It made people think of the band O.A.R. A lot.
THE OLYMPICS ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW
AND IT’S CURLING
AGAINST RUSSIA
OR POSSIBLY THE BAND O.A.R. https://t.co/V7U3BvuJsR pic.twitter.com/B98xTHyDii— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) February 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/melbee2003/status/965415651530690561
Olympic Athletes From Russia is my favorite O.A.R. cover band. #Olympics
— Slab Bulkhead (@timtheredmenace) February 12, 2018
Searches for the 2000s alternative rock band have doubled on Google.
There was a 46 percent uptick in streaming of the band’s songs on Spotify between Feb. 9 and 16, according to The Washington Post.
Olympic Athletes from Russia is a bit of a mouthful, so most broadcasters have been shortening that to OAR at least some of the time when they reference the team on the air. Apparently, there are a good amount of viewers who were in high school in the early 2000s and who have nostalgic tendancies. Hearing the band name made them go queue up hits like “Shattered’’ and “Love and Memories.’’
The band has a new single, “Paradise,’’ and just annoucned plans for a 2018 summer tour, so the publicity comes at a good time. O.A.R. is happy to be getting the extra attention.
“It’s kind of nice that people hear about OAR — the athletes — go, ‘Oh yeah, I remember that band,’ look us up, and there’s a new song and a tour coming your way,’’ frontman Marc Roberge told ESPN.
You could even say they don’t want to turn this thing around.
