O.A.R to play on post Dec. 6 Posted On: Friday, Nov. 28 2008 06:30 AM By Sheena Williams
Killeen Daily Herald

The sound of a powerful blast reverberated through Iraq's Forward Operating Base Warrior as Jonathan Watson and the band O.A.R briskly rushed back into the hospital that they had just left.

Watson, the director of development for the Central Texas Armed Services YMCA, remembers vividly the day one year ago when he sat in the facility's secured room and watched, along with the band members, as soldiers began to line up to donate blood for the wounded.

Even though he felt the band's anxiety permeating the air, one of the most inspiring details he remembers from the situation was that O.A.R. gave a great live show for the troops, hours later, Watson said.

O.A.R is looking to spend more time with America's fighting force and will have the opportunity Dec. 6 as they rock out at Fort Hood's Abrams Physical Fitness Center.

Not only will the band's jams fill the center but the concert will also be captured by Killeen Independent School District's videographers and will be available for soldiers overseas via the ASYMCA's Web site, www.asymca.org.

The opportunity for family and friends to send holiday shout-outs to their loved ones overseas will be recorded throughout the performance and will be included in the Internet broadcast.

The Maryland-based band has been generating tunes for more than a decade and just released their newest album, "All Sides" in July.

"War Song," a song from the new release, is based on the band's experiences during their tour in Iraq, said Watson, who has continued to stay in touch with the members and helped coordinate the event along with Fort Hood's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department

"I wasn't a fan of their music until I met them in Iraq. Honestly, I had been in Iraq for a while as the III Corps director of MWR and I hadn't heard any popular music in a while. But I saw them play live and they're the best live band I've ever seen," said Watson who escorted the band throughout their four-stop tour in Iraq.

"It never got old and it was really quite impressive to see the response from the troops. It was just the way that they identify with the crowd. ... It was impressive to me to see that everyday they got up and were ready to attack today. ... You could tell that they were there for the right reasons."

For more information on the concert, contact the Central Texas Armed Services YMCA at (254)634-5445 or Fort Hood's FMWR at (254)287-0337.

Contact Sheena Williams at sheenaw@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7553.

If you go

What: O.A.R. Concert

Where: Fort Hood's Abrams Physical Fitness Center

When: Dec. 6, doors open at 6 p.m.

The concert is open to the public. Tickets are free for the event and are available at:

Rivers Building

Building 121, Rivers Building

Corner of 761st Tank Battalion Ave. & T.J. Mills Boulevard

Information, Ticketing and Registration

761st Tank Battalion Shopping Center, Bldg 136

The Courses of Clear Creek

Battalion Avenue at Clear Creek Road, Bldg 52381

Abrams Physical Fitness Center

62nd Street & Support Avenue, Bldg 23001

BOSS Office

37th St., located inside the Phantom Warrior Center, Bldg 194

FMWR Marketing and Advertising Office

37th St., located inside the Phantom Warrior Center, Bldg 194