When your first official gig as a band is an eighth-grade talent show, the thought of even celebrating three decades together is a stretch, to say the least…

But that’s exactly where the guys in O.A.R. find themselves as they head into 2026.

It’s unbelievable, sure—but these musicians are no strangers to “unbelievable.”

In fact, they’ve humbly and quietly shattered expectations at every turn over the last thirty years. Their journey may have started in middle school, but it’s taken them around the world with multiple sold-out shows at Madison Square Gardenand Red Rocks Amphitheatre, north of one billion streams, and multiplatinum success. The most unbelievable aspect of it all might be that their friendship is actually tighter than ever. This is a family as much as it is a band.

That unbreakable bond powers the group—Marc Roberge [lead vocals, guitar], Richard On [lead guitar, backing vocals], Chris Culos [drums], and Jerry DePizzo [saxophone, guitar, backing vocals] to this day. They’re having a blast as brothers, and it shows every time they pick up their instruments.

“When we’re having fun at a show, audiences feel it,” Chris affirms. “We’re on stage for two hours, but we’re having just as much fun during the rest of the day. Marc is our creative leader, and he’s the quarterback. He can stand in front of 20,000 people and improvise meaningful lyrics. We lovingly refer to Jerry as ‘Prez’ or ‘the C.E.O of O.A.R.’ He’s steady as a rock, he knows where he’s going, and he wants people to come along with him. Richard has an incredible ear for tone and hooks. There’s so much taste to his style, and it defines our sound as much as Marc’s voice and lyrics do.”

“I’ve got to say Chris is the most likable fellow,” smiles Jerry. “His right hand is a big part of our DNA. We’re a good team.”

“I look at O.A.R. how I look at my immediate family,” adds Marc. “You walk in the room, and it’s so familiar that you’re instantly energized to do your job. Each member is a complete original. Ultimately, O.A.R. is part of who I am, and my bandmates are part of who I am too. We continue to keep each other afloat.”

A Maryland Legacy – The Oceans Calling Festival

What began as a group of friends playing basement shows in Rockville, Maryland, has, three decades later, grown into a movement that continues to give back to the place it all began. In addition to their storied career with O.A.R., Marc Roberge and Jerry DePizzo are also founding partners of the Oceans Calling Festival in Ocean City, Maryland—a world-class, multi-day celebration of music, community, and the coastal spirit of their home state.

Working alongside and driven by the talents of partner Tim Sweetwood and his exceptional team, they helped bring the vision of Oceans Calling to life in 2022, transforming the Ocean City boardwalk into a national destination for live music and culture. The festival has since become a cornerstone of Maryland’s cultural calendar, drawing tens of thousands of fans while generating a profound positive impact on local businesses, tourism, and the surrounding community.

“Helping to build Oceans Calling from the ground up has been one of the great honors of our career,” says Jerry DePizzo. “Working alongside and driven by our incredible partner Tim Sweetwood and his team, and watching this festival take root in Ocean City, has been deeply meaningful. The true reward isn’t just in the music—it’s in the way it uplifts the community and shines a light on the great state of Maryland. That’s something we’re all proud to stand behind.”

The Music and the Mission

You can trace O.A.R.’s origins back to the aforementioned middle school-era incarnation of the band in a Maryland suburb. By all accounts, O.A.R. formally solidified at Ohio State University, where Marc, Richard, and Chris met Jerry. Creating an expansive catalog beginning with 1997’s The Wanderer, they notched RIAA Gold certifications for their seminal live album Any Time Now and singles “Love and Memories” and “Peace,” while “Shattered” picked up a Platinum plaque. The group also scored three Top 15 debuts on the Billboard 200 and emerged as the rare collective versatile enough to collaborate with either Robert Redford, Goo Goo Dolls, and Cory Wong or Wiz Khalifa and DJ Premier.

Beyond multiple television performances across all major networks, they’ve consistently packed houses across the country. During 2022, their most recent full-length LP, The Arcade, spawned fan-favorite staple “In the Clouds,” while The Aquarian hailed the record as “a testament to where the band is today and how they got here.”

Through their charity, Heard The World Fund, the group has raised millions for causes such as education, sustainability, and pediatric cancer—supporting the likes of Habitat For Humanity, Folds of Honor, Garden of Dreams Foundation, Connor’s Cure, and the Jimmy V Foundation, among others.

O.A.R. keep pushing the envelope. The fluidity of their interplay empowers them to both jam at an elite level and eloquently craft emotionally charged anthems. Unbound by any limits, the guys absorb elements of rock, indie, roots, alternative, pop, and folk into a living, breathing musical hybrid without comparison.

“We enjoy pushing each other and charting new territory,” notes Chris. “It’s almost like we’re ‘The Goonies of rock ‘n’ roll.’ It just comes from playing, exploring, and being together as friends. Even when we were playing house parties in backyards, we were challenging and surprising each other. This spirit carried into the songwriting as we developed as performers. We never got comfortable; we’re still leveling up after all this time.”

These friends won’t stop anytime soon—and that’s why O.A.R.’s music will last forever.

“We’re just friends who are working together to create something greater than ourselves in an inclusive way,” Jerry sums it up. “It’s where our authenticity comes from.”

“When you listen to us, I want the music to take you into a time machine and put you back into one of the freest moments of your life,” adds Marc. “We aren’t making up stories; we’re talking about our lives. We’re going through what you’re going through, and that’s always been the beauty of O.A.R. since day one.”

O.A.R. BOILER PLATE :

It’s unbelievable that O.A.R. are still together thirty years since their first gig at an eighth-grade talent show, but these musicians are no strangers to “unbelievable.” In fact, they’ve quietly shattered expectations at every turn over the last thirty years. Their journey may have started in Maryland, but it’s taken them around the world with multiple sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, north of 1 billion streams, and multiplatinum success. Creating an expansive catalog beginning with 1997’s The Wanderer, they earned RIAA Gold certifications, three Top 15 Billboard 200 debuts, and collaborated with everyone from Robert Redford and Goo Goo Dolls to Wiz Khalifa and DJ Premier. Their latest album, The Arcade, features the fan favorite “In the Clouds.” O.A.R. members, Marc Roberge and Jerry DePizzo, are also founding partners of the Oceans Calling Festival in Ocean City, Maryland, a world-class, multi-day celebration of music and community. Working alongside and driven by their talented partner Tim Sweetwood and his team, they helped create a festival that has quickly become a cornerstone of Maryland’s cultural calendar, making a lasting positive impact on the community. “The true reward isn’t just in the music, it’s in the way it uplifts the community and shines a light on the great state of Maryland,” says Jerry DePizzo. Through their charity, Heard The World Fund, O.A.R. have raised millions for education, sustainability, and pediatric cancer causes. Heading into their 30th year in 2026, Marc Roberge, Richard On, Chris Culos, and Jerry DePizzo are still having a blast as brothers—and it shows every time they take the stage.