CLEVELAND — They may have sold out some of the biggest arenas worldwide, including Madison Square Garden, but the Buckeye State will always have a special place in the hearts of the members of O.A.R.
3News' Austin Love sat down with lead singer Marc Roberge for a one-on-one interview.
During the interview, Roberge discussed how much Ohio means to him as well as how they first got their start in the music industry.
When Roberge was working towards his dreams of being in a rock band, he played at the eighth-grade talent show, in people's backyards, and the school cafeteria as a freshman.
"Our motto has always been play everywhere," said Roberge. "It has been like that since eighth grade. We wanted to be the goonies of rock 'n' roll. Living that dream has been a work in progress, but we are always realizing, 'Wow, we really lucked out on this one.'"
One of the most pivotal parts for the band was when they journeyed to attend The Ohio State University.
"We say we were born in Maryland and raised in Ohio, and that is the truth. It all started bubbling in Ohio. Our first tour manager was from Ohio. Our first everything was in Ohio. Our first radio play was in Ohio... Ohio is all over O.A.R."
Earlier this month, band members from O.A.R. visited 3News for an exclusive interview prior to their concert at Jacobs Pavillion at Nautica.
Jerry DePizzo of O.A.R. discussed on 3News how important Cleveland has been to them throughout their careers.
"Cleveland was one of the very first spots as a band where we had the opportunity to go," DePizzo, a native of Youngstown, recalled. "We played Peabody's, and then we would play The Agora. Tonight, we're at Nautica. We've played Nautica a ton of times throughout our career, and it really is a magical, special place to see a concert. It's going to be a packed house tonight as it always is, and Cleveland always shows up and represents well for O.A.R."