Richard On - Famous Chinese Americans

O.A.R. (originally known as Of a Revolution ) is an American rock band composed of Marc Roberge ( vocals , guitar), Chris Culos ( drums , percussion), Richard On (guitar, backing vocals), Benj Gershman ( bass guitar), and Jerry DePizzo ( saxophone, guitar, snare drum kit, backing vocals). Due to massive online distribution over campus networks, the band has become a hit among college students, with many songs relating to the band members' personal lives at Thomas S. Wootton High School, growing up in Rockville, Maryland and attending The Ohio State University.

O.A.R. is well known for its live performances because the band often creates variations to songs at each concert, making it rare to hear a song played the exact same way twice. The band also incorporates jam elements in their concerts, resulting in many of their live songs running anywhere between 5 and 18 minutes each. O.A.R.'s unique concert performances have led many people to believe they are one of the top live bands today.

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Band history

Early years: The Wanderer , In Between Now and Then

The band was founded in 1996 by Marc Roberge and Chris Culos, inspired in part by Roberge's older brother who plays drums for the band Foxtrot Zulu. They then recruited Richard On and Benj Gershman. In 1997 they recorded The Wanderer at Gizmo Recording Company in Silver Spring, Maryland with engineer/producer Gantt Kushner. The four of them graduated from Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, then moved to Columbus, Ohio to attend The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State, they met Jerry DePizzo, from Youngstown, Ohio. In 2000 they returned to Gizmo Recording to record "Souls Aflame".

Without any formal marketing or advertising plans, news of their songs such as " That Was a Crazy Game of Poker," "City on Down," and "Night Shift" spread by word of mouth alone. Over the years, the band played as many shows as they could, expanding from the fraternities and sororities of Ohio State to any audiences that cared to listen. This exposure paid off; their third album Risen debuted at #11 on the Billboard top internet sales chart. The following year, their fourth album Any Time Now debuted at #156 on the Billboard 200 chart. They received offers from various major labels, but signed with Lava Records because they promised not to change the band.

Mainstream success: Stories of a Stranger , All Sides

In 2005, O.A.R. released their fifth album, Stories of a Stranger, which debuted at #40 on the Billboard 200. It produced the singles "Love and Memories," "Heard the World," and "Lay Down." "Love and Memories" was the band's first single to chart and receive significant radio airplay, peaking at 98 in the Pop 100, at 30 in Modern Rock Tracks, and at 18 in Adult Top 40. The music videos for "Love and Memories" and "Lay Down" received airplay on VH1 and MTV. The video for "Lay Down" received a "Woodie" award from MTV for streaming video.

On January 14, 2006, O.A.R. reached a new peak of popularity by drawing roughly 18,000 fans and selling out New York City's Madison Square Garden, which earned them a review in the New York Times. On October 5, 2006, a press release declared that O.A.R. had officially sold in excess of 1.2 million albums over their career. The band attributes much of its popularity to the recording and subsequent trading and downloading of their live shows.

On July 15, 2008, O.A.R. released their sixth studio album, All Sides. The first radio single for All Sides , " Shattered (Turn the Car Around)," was released for download on June 13. It surpassed "Love And Memories," peaking at 2 in Adult Top 40. In December 2008, VH1 named the music video for "Shattered" as number 18 on their Top 40 Videos of 2008.

During the 2008 All Sides tour, the All Sides album was released on USB Wristband along with instant live recordings of their concerts.

The band released a new live album ( Rain or Shine ) on January 12, 2010. The band has hinted at a new studio album being ready in the summer of 2010. The album is being produced by Matt Wallace, who produced All Sides.

Charitable Endeavors/Other Appearances

The band's Heard The World foundation was founded to support youth, education and sustainable programs

both in the U.S. and abroad.

In December 2009, Jerry DePizzo headlined a charity fundraiser for Music Loves Ohio in Columbus at The Basement.

The band teamed up with the large US defense contractor, SAIC, to raise money for the Paralyzed Veterans of America, a service organization focused on assisting veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases, through digital downloads of the band's song "Light Switch Sky." Proceeds from downloads of the song through July 22, 2010 will support paralyzed veterans. The song was co-written by O.A.R. and its fans through a competition on Twitter.

In August 2010, members Benj Gershman and Marc Roberge appeared in two videos for Diet Coke's Stay Extraordinary campaign .

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Members

Marc Roberge ( Lead vocals, rhythm guitar; 1996???present)

Chris Culos ( Drums; 1996???present)

Richard On ( Lead guitar, backup vocals; 1996???present)

Benj Gershman ( Bass guitar; 1996???present)

Jerry DePizzo ( Saxophone, guitar; 2000???present)

Mikel Paris ( keyboards ; 2006???present, not official)

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Song Appearances

O.A.R. performed the theme song for the ABC show . During a two-hour special that aired on December 11, 2005, they provided a street-side concert, including a live performance of "So Much", the Extreme Makeover Home Edition theme, in front of the newly redesigned Los Angeles Free Clinic .

In 2006, O.A.R. Performed at the MLB's Home Run Derby at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Singing "Love and Memories" and other titles.

In 2006, the band's song "Love and Memories" was featured in the movie She's the Man.

In June 2007 the band's songs "Wonderful Day" and "One Shot" were used extensively by ESPN during its coverage of the 2007 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament and College World Series .

In June 2008 the song "This Town", also from All Sides , was used extensively by ESPN during its coverage of the 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament and College World Series .

In 2008, their song "Love is Worth The Fall" was featured on the deluxe edition soundtrack for the film Twilight . The song was also released as an iTunes single.

On March 1, 2009, the song "This Town" was used in a NASCAR racing promotion featuring the band.

Throughout early 2009, O.A.R.'s song "Wonderful Day" was used on nationally aired Ford commercials.

O.A.R.'s song Love And Memories is featured on the video game SingStar Amped released on 18 Sep. of 2007

Throughout early 2010, many of Fox Sports's regional networks have taken to using the song "This Town" in promo commercials and video recaps of college and professional sports games aired on said networks.

"This Town" chorus used as opening and closing theme song by the Chicago Cubs Radio Network for all 2010 Chicago Cubs broadcasts.

"This Town" was used as the music video sound track for the Pink Scrubs Music Video to promote breast health awareness on behalf of the Cuyuna Riverwood Breast Health Alliance including Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby, and Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin.

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Discography

Studio albums

The Wanderer (1997)

Soul's Aflame (2000)

Risen (2001)

In Between Now and Then (2003)

Stories of a Stranger (2005)

All Sides (2008)

TBA (February 2011)

Live albums

Any Time Now (2002)

34th & 8th (2004)

Live from Madison Square Garden (2007)

Hello, Tomorrow (EP) (2009)

Rain or Shine (2010)

Compilations

Bonnaroo 2003 (2003, "Risen")

National Heads-Up Poker Championship 2005 (1997, "That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker")

Rock For Relief (2006, "James")

(2006, "Of A Revolution")

Mixclusives: Volume 6 (2006, "Love & Memories")

The Target Red Room Volume: 5 (2006, "One Shot (live)")

Kyle XY Soundtrack (2007, "Wonderful Day")

(2007, " Borrowed Time ")

For the Kids Three (2007, "Itsy Bitsy Spider")

Serve2: Fighting Hunger & Poverty (2007, "Dareh Meyod" from Live from Madison Square Garden )

Serve4: Artists Against Hunger & Poverty (2009, "Lay Down" from Rain Or Shine (Album) )

Twilight (soundtrack) (Special/Deluxe Edition) (2009, "Love Is Worth The Fall")

Music For Action: Best of Bonnaroo (2010, "Delicate Few" from Bonnaroo 2005 )

Singles

Covers

O.A.R. has done a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Fool In The Rain" available on iTunes and all the proceeds from the song go directly to charity. This cover was a collaboration with Robert Randolph, who performed it live with them multiple times.

At their live shows, O.A.R. has been known to cover a variety of songs by artists such as Bob Dylan, U2, the Grateful Dead, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and Bob Marley.

O.A.R. Official website

Billboard.com Band Profile

oarsa.org setlist archive, lyrics, and fan site