Encore!

Band back on campus

November 5, 2004
Samantha Carr
Staff Reporter


Oval Opus is back. The hot up-and-coming alternative band is playing tonight at 8:00 p.m. in the Stack.

Oval Opus is a Cincinnati-based group that has opened for musical artists such as Maroon 5, Sister Hazel and the Doobie Brothers. 

“The Doobie Brothers was the first show we ever opened for and was one of those things that gave us direction for the rest of our lives,” said lead singer Aaron Patrick. “It was amazing to be able to do that.”

Along with Patrick, Oval Opus features guitarist Josh Edmundson, drummer Dan Edmundson and bass player Patrick “Trick” Martin.

“We’ve been together originally for seven years now, but added a new bass player two years ago,” Patrick said. “It’s been a good lineup ever since.”

Oval Opus is on tour now playing anywhere from 120-140 gigs a year. They usually spend one to two months touring colleges. Right now they are touring the Midwest.

Being so close, the band members have had more than a few memorable experiences on the road.

“We were in South Bend, Indiana, performing a show at Notre Dame,” Martin said.  “Josh went into the hotel lobby while the rest of us stayed in the bedroom. He went down and was greeted by a lobby full of police officers yelling ‘Freeze!’

“There was a man who had recently robbed a bank, and SWAT teams were hiding out all around the hotel, the roof of the local Burger King—everywhere. There was a two-hour standoff and it was being broadcast on ABC and FOX. We decided to share some info with the news [on what we had seen going on]. It was a cheap way to get some good press time.

“We eventually heard loud knocking at the door and were soon greeted by four police officers aiming guns at us. They didn’t know who the robber was, and obviously had mistaken us. It was one funny night.”

Members of Oval Opus write all of their own songs and have worked in writing sessions with writers for Billy Joel, Tim McGraw and Luscious Jackson. They created over 30 original songs and will choose 14 to put on their album, which is set to be released early next year.

Their single “What About Tomorrow” has played on over 100 college radio stations. It earned Oval Opus the title “Cincinnati’s best alternative band” and “Cincinnati’s favorite band” at the Cincinnati Enquirer Cammy Awards in 2000.

You can check them out at www.ovalopus.com