O.A.R. bassist Benj Gershman is battling a sinus problem.

“I’ll apologize now if I sound nasally or if I start sneezing,” he said when he called. “I’ve got some terrible allergies happening.”

Gershman and the other four members of O.A.R., the Ohio State college band by way of Rockville, Md., will play the Convocation Center at 7:30 tonight with support from Army of Me.

Through sniffles and sneezes, Gershman talked to the Northern Star about life on the road, his views on the O.A.R. fan base and baseball.

Northern Star: Where are you now and what can you see?

Benj Gershman: I’m in Kingston, R.I., and I’m on the bus so I can see a movie with Ben Affleck on and there’s metal all around me. Our crew bus is next to us, and the 18-wheeler is on the other side of the tour bus. If I opened the door right now, I’d probably smell fumes.

NS: Do you know exactly what Ben Affleck movie you are watching?

BG: It’s “Surviving Christmas.” I’m honestly not watching it. It’s just on the TV. I came on the bus to find somewhere quiet to make this call.

NS: How’s the tour going?

BG: It’s great. It’s been really fun having Major League Baseball and PlayStation involved. I think it adds a fun element to the show that a lot of people can enjoy.

NS: What is the connection with MLB?

BG: They have a song of ours on their latest game “MLB ‘06: The Show.” We basically had a song on our new record that told a story about our band growing up and how we’ve matured. The song is kind of related to how major league baseball players started out by playing little league and getting all the way to the big game. The song wasn’t released on the record, but we had recorded it and they asked us if we had anything we wanted to put on the game and it just kind of clicked. We also love baseball and video games.

NS: Do you see a difference between the shows you play at colleges and the shows you play at clubs?

BG: Yeah, definitely. Part of it is as simple as the acoustics in the room. When you play colleges, a lot of times you play gymnasiums and places that don’t have good acoustics. A lot of clubs are relatively solid when it comes to the show. Acoustically, they are there. As far as the show energy levels and the ambience and everything, there is a difference as well. A lot of club shows have more people singing along and people are crazier and they get into it. For the most part, the college shows we’ve been doing have been pretty solid.

NS: You played NIU in February 2004. Do you remember places you’ve played more than once, or do venues begin to look the same after a while?

BG: Yes and no. There are aspects. . . Hold on, I need to wipe my nose.

NS: It’s cool.

BG: A lot of times, things just blend together. There are always differences. Marc [Roberge, lead singer and guitarist] says he can recognize a stairwell or a hallway that he is in if he’s been there before. But it’s different for everybody. There’s things that remind me of places and I think, “Have I see this before?” It looks really similar, but it’s a different place. A lot of them are sterile environments and when you’re in that gym or arena, that concrete wall could be anywhere. So yes and no.

NS: Do you have any favorite places to play?

BG: Um, DeKalb? I like anywhere I can go to and play where people won’t be stupid and start bar fights and are there to enjoy the music and have a nice night, as opposed to get out and look for trouble. The music is supposed to be a release from all the bad stuff, it’s supposed to be there for the good stuff.

NS: Going off what you said about people starting fights, what do you think of your fan base?

BG: I think a lot of things about our fan base. I have to start by saying that I’m grateful for all the support they’ve given us because that is a big thing. But when you bring a band out to open up for you on a tour, you don’t want them to be mistreated or yelled at. You want them to be respected and you want people to listen to their music. So when that doesn’t happen, it’s frustrating, and you wonder about the people who are doing those things. Now, these are the few bad apples out of a big bunch, type of thing. So you have to take it with a grain of salt.

NS: What was it like growing as a band in the college music scene?

BG: Getting started in the college scene came about because of us going to Ohio State, but also because of everyone we went to high school with spread out to colleges across the country. They really pushed the music because they liked it and it was a part of their high school experience. It was a way for them to reconnect with home.

NS: Did you get a lot of Dave Matthews Band references when you first came onto the scene?

BG: I really don’t care what other people say. I just care if I feel a sense of integrity about what I do. And this is America and there are critics all over the place, so you can’t please everybody. There came a point where we stopped listening and decided to follow our own path and not worry about it. To us, we’re happy with where we are at. We’ve been a band for 10 years. We’ve done things we’ve never dreamed. We’ve released seven records, sold out the [Madison Square] Garden, we’ve sold a million records collectively. I’m not trying to be cocky, but we’ve done things that we’re really proud of.

NS: Is life on the road as glamorous as people think it is?

BG: That’s another yes and no. At times, it’s great. You don’t have to sit behind a desk or do whatever. But I always think that the grass is always greener. There’s times when you want to be home and be with your girlfriend or wife. We’re all getting older, one of us had a kid recently, so you’re constantly pulled in other directions. There’s a lot of great things about being in a band. You’re a performer. What real responsibility does that put on you? I just play the bass.

NS: What advice would you give to college students?

BG: Go to class. If you’re going to be in college, go to class. There’s definitely no reason not to do that. It costs a lot to be there. The United States’ higher education is one of the best in the world, in general. So if you have the opportunity to be a part of that, you damn well better. It’s just stupid not to.