Marc Roberge

Lead Vocalist, Guitarist, and Songwriter at O.A.R.

Speaker

Marc Roberge co-founded O.A.R. (Of A Revolution) in 1996 with drummer Chris Culos, a partnership sparked in part by Roberge's older brother, who played drums in the band Foxtrot Zulu. The two soon recruited guitarist Richard On and bassist Benj Gershman, all four having grown up together in Rockville, Maryland and attended Thomas S. Wootton High School. The band recorded its debut album, The Wanderer, in 1997 at a small studio in Silver Spring, and songs from that record, including "Black Rock" and "That Was a Crazy Game of Poker," remain concert staples nearly three decades later. The lineup rounded out when the members went on to Ohio State University, where they met saxophonist and guitarist Jerry DePizzo.

Since then, Roberge has fronted the band through ten studio albums, most recently 2022's The Arcade, building a reputation as one of live music's most reliably electric acts. O.A.R.'s shows are known for extended improvisation and setlists built around deep cuts as much as hits, a format that has helped the band cultivate an unusually loyal, multi-generational fanbase and sustain its independence in an industry that has pushed most peers toward major-label formulas.

Alongside his work with O.A.R., Roberge has spent the past decade building a solo career centered on smaller theaters and a more stripped-down format: just voice, guitar or piano, stretched-out storytelling between songs, and a mix of O.A.R. favorites and curated covers. He's cited classic country troubadours as a key influence on that side of his songwriting and is currently working on his debut solo album, leaning further into folk-driven, narrative songwriting.

Roberge's sports ties go beyond partnership deals. He's sung the national anthem at NHL games, performed at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and brought O.A.R. on USO tours to Iraq and Kuwait for deployed service members. He also serves on the Advisory Council for the Robert Irvine Foundation, supporting programs for veterans, active-duty military, and their families.