Rewind 20 years, and residents of certain states might recall tailgating summer concerts thrown by the same batch of artists.
Names like Dave Matthews and John Mayer could come to mind — even the rock outfit known as O.A.R. Cut to 2026, the band has just returned to the spotlight.
O.A.R. officially kicked off their highly anticipated Three Decades Tour this weekend, launching a milestone summer run that aims to celebrate “30 years of music, memories and the community the band has built with fans across generations,” according to a Monday, July 27 news release.
Here’s how the opening weekend began:
- Thursday, July 23 at Stage AE in Pittsburgh
- Friday, July 24 at Columbia, Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion
- Saturday, July 25 at TD Pavilion at The Mann in Philadelphia
- Sunday, July 26 at Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront in Richmond
“This tour has become one big celebration, not just for us, but for everyone,” said the band in a statement. “It feels like people are celebrating a chance to step away from it all and simply enjoy each other, the summer, love, music, and a sense of peace. There’s something special about being together at these shows. You can feel that collective energy, like we’re all ready for some good times.”
A particularly meaningful stop came Friday night in Maryland, bringing O.A.R. back to the state where their story began in 1996. Formed while its members were still in high school in Rockville, the band has grown from playing local shows to building one of rock’s most enduring careers.
The Three Decades Tour continues throughout the summer and brings O.A.R. to venues across the country, with Gavin DeGraw, Lisa Loeb, KT Tunstall and Phantom Planet joining the tour as support.
O.A.R. saw mainstream success particularly in the previous two decades. Their 2008 album All Sides, for instance, peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 that year and spent 18 weeks on the chart.
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