Author: James

Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, the romantic rockers known internationally as Air Supply are dedicating their Hollywood Bowl concert on September 3rd, to the Beatles.

Coincidentally Graham and Russell were both inspired to perform music by witnessing the Beatles live in concert in 1964 during the height of Beatlemania.

As young teenagers, Graham witnessed the Fab Four in his hometown of Nottingham, England at the Odeon Cinema, and Russell experienced the frenzy at one of the concerts at Festival Hall in Melbourne, Australia.

Their individual Beatle experiences helped lead them to the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar in Australia, where the two music biz newbies bonded due in great part over their mutual experiences and admiration of The Beatles. They went on to form Air Supply and immediately gained success themselves with hit songs, opening for Rod Stewart on tour, sold-out concerts, and a thriving 48-year career (so far). They perform over 130 concerts per year around the world and are more popular than ever on tour.

Graham Russell explains, “I started writing poems as a child and then when I witnessed the Beatles on stage, because I had become such a fan, I said, ‘Ok, I get it… this is what I want to do’ and started putting my words to music and created my own songs, something I have done every day since.”

Russell Hitchcock adds, “People told me I had a nice voice, but I never thought I would make a living from it until I met Graham. We realized we clicked in every way. He writes, arranges, and performs the songs, and I sing the songs. We are huge Beatles fans to this day and try to catch Sir Paul and Ringo’s All Stars every chance we get.”

Hitchcock continues, “We were both fortunate to see the Beatles in 1964 and know they performed at The Hollywood Bowl for their first time in ’64. It took us 48 Years and over 5300 shows to get there and it’s about time. No doubt, we will think about John, Paul, George, and Ringo that night. So, it will be our own personal dedication to the amazingly talented guys who inspired Air Supply the most. We are sharing the bill with Michael Bolton. We have shared shows with Michael before, so I know it will be wonderful.”

A complete schedule of Air Supply tour dates available at AirSupplyMusic.com

The Hollywood Bowl is one of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the Hollywood Bowl has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922 and plays host to the finest artists from all genres of music, offering something for everyone. It remains one of the best deals anywhere in Los Angeles; to this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many classical and jazz performances. In February 2023 the venue was named the Outdoor Concert Venue of the Year at the 34th Annual Pollstar Awards, an honor bestowed 15 previous times. The Hollywood Bowl

was also named Amphitheater of the Decade at the 32nd Annual Pollstar Awards as well as Top Amphitheater at the 2017 and 2018 Billboard Touring Awards. For millions of music lovers across Southern California, the Hollywood Bowl is synonymous with summer. hollywoodbowl.com

To purchase tickets: https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/2350/2023-09-03/air-supply-michael-bolton

via musicrecallmagazine.com

Review by Joseph Hett

Air Supply Is Awesome In Evans

Air Supply brought The Lost in Love Experience Tour to the Columbia County Performing Arts Center in Evans, GA on Saturday night. Airheads made their way into the PAC to escape the heat outside as the temperature was approaching 100 degrees.

Right on time, Aaron McLain (lead guitar/musical director), Mirko Tessandori (keyboards), Pavel Valdman (drums) and Doug Gild (bass) made their way out onstage to crank out a loud intro for the gentlemen of the hour. Graham Russell (guitar/vocals) and Russell Hitchcock (lead vocals) then made their way out for “Sweet Dreams.”

The capacity crowd became electric when the first notes were heard for “Even the Nights Are Better.” The Airheads immediately began singing along – and that would become a common theme throughout the evening. Air Supply kept the classics coming with “Just as I Am,” “Every Woman in the World” and “Here I Am.”

Russell stated that “Tonight is our 5,327th show of our career, but tonight will be the best show ever. We are yours…in return you are ours,” before they slowed it down with “Chances,” “Goodbye” and “I Can Wait Forever.”

At this point in the show, Hitchcock and the rest of the band exited the stage for a well deserved break except for Russell. After asking the audience who all hasn’t seen Air Supply in concert before, Russell quipped why it took them 48 years to do so. “We just got back from doing five shows in Honolulu and we thought it was HOT until we came here,” Russell jokingly said. Russell noted that Hitchcock was backstage having tea so he could come back and sing even higher than before.

Russell then went on to recite a short poem titled “Am I” from his book “Turn Left at Greenland.” Tessandori then came out to play keyboards on “I’ll Find You.”

Hitchcock came back wearing a black sleeveless shirt exposing his tattoo-filled arms. Ironically, his shirt said “TATTOOS ARE STUPID.” Russell and Hitchcock both sat on stools on the center of the stage and told a few stories. They spoke about first meeting each other, similarities, early music making and opening for Rod Stewart in 1977. They then encouraged the crowd to singalong with “Two Less Lonely People in the World.”

Russell performed a unique solo on his acoustic guitar. He plucked and tapped on the strings all while banging it’s body for a percussion effect. For “The One That You Love,” Hitchcock instructed the audience to sing the chorus.

After the timeless “Lost in Love,” Valdman performed a drum solo and McLain performed a monstrous guitar solo. McLain was shredding so fast, the fog machine to his right made it look like his guitar was smoking. Throughout the evening, McLain made soloing look effortlessly.

Air Supply closed out the set with the epic “Making Love Out of Nothing at All.” After a brief break, they returned for “Without You” followed by crew and band introductions. They even gave a shout-out to military veterans in the building. To close out the show, they ended with the one and only “All Out of Love.”

Air Supply put on a marvelous show. The musicianship of all members of the band was phenomenal. It’s amazing how Hitchcock hit the high notes perfectly. While Air Supply might be typecast as a band playing sappy love songs, they truly put on a rocking show in concert. Air Supply is still at the top of their game!

For more information including tour dates, please visit: airsupplymusic.com

Via Medium.com

In Roman mythology, Venus was the goddess of love, and even today continues to be an inspiration for artists and thinkers alike. So how appropriate was it to see the luminous planet gently rising over the Mountain Winery amphitheater on a cool summer evening that was to feature two artists who, for nearly 50 years have celebrated and commemorated love, both lost and found?

Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, better known as the group Air Supply, first met during a 1975 production of Jesus Christ Superstar in Australia. Russell, originally from England, and Hitchcock, an Australian native, decided to forge a musical partnership which, as you are probably aware, has resulted in a boatload of easy-on-the-ear hits including “Lost in Love,” “All Out Of Love,” “Every Woman in the World” and many others. Their roles were defined early; Russell, the towering left-handed guitarist would do most of the writing and sing occasionally, while Hitchcock, blessed with an angelic, soaring tenor voice, would carry the bulk of the lead vocals. Thus was born one of rock music’s most potent and prolific duos, comfortably resting in the same pantheon with Simon and Garfunkel, The Carpenters, Daryl Hall and John Oates, and Tears for Fears, among others.

Nestled into the winding hills of the Santa Clara Valley, Saratoga’s beautiful Mountain Winery boasts a magical air. The “vineyard in the sky” as it has been called came to be in 1905 as La Cresta, where esteemed vintner Paul Masson turned out his acclaimed sparkling wines. The 2500-seat amphitheater was constructed in 1958, its stage placed against the dramatic backdrop of a 12th-century Spanish Portal (which Masson acquired from the rubble of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in San Jose after the 1906 earthquake). Over the years, the famed summer concert series has hosted many major musical acts, and Air Supply seemed happy to be back.

As the opening strains of 1981’s top five hit, “Sweet Dreams” began to swirl, it was immediately obvious that, like fine wine, Air Supply has not just aged well but has also ascended and matured to a new level of performance that is both impressive and age-defying.

Bathed in shafts of violet light, (backed by a wonderfully diverse band consisting of Aaron McLain on guitar, Mirko Tessandori on keyboards, Pavel Valdman on drums, and Doug Gild on bass) it was immediately established that this was not just simply a concert, but rather also a loosely (and skillfully) crafted three-act theatrical performance designed, as all good musicals are, to include a series of dramatic arcs; those emotional peaks and valleys that allow the audience to viscerally experience the music rather than just passively sit there and listen.

The first “act” as it were, of course, featured many hits including “Even the Nights Are Better,” “Every Woman in the World” and “Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You”). Act two showcased Russell reciting a piece of his own beautiful poetry as part of a short solo set, (which served to give Hitchcock a bit of a vocal break) which then sets up act three, an unleashing of the biggest anthems including “The One That You Love,” “Lost in love,” “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” and “All out of Love” (not to mention a splendid version of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You” which Hitchcock sang into the stratosphere).

Throughout the entire show, both Russell and Hitchcock, in addition to sharing intimate, reflective, and humorous anecdotes about their history, traverse the stage almost nonstop, crisscrossing countless times while also sharing a pair of center-stage stools for a quieter part of the set. The band is given full rein to rock, shred and deliver their own little consummate solos. Yes, the show is comprised of many love ballads, but the overall tone is very much rock’n roll.

Russell, ever the charming (and tireless) unofficial emcee is a wandering minstrel with his guitar (at one point playing some strikingly innovative percussive runs on a 12-string acoustic.) Hitchcock, the charismatic crooner, interprets rather than simply recites the hits that made the group famous, thus adding a layer of dimension rarely demonstrated by bands performing songs they have played thousands of times. Much the way the most classic crooners from Sinatra to Bennett would alter phrasings, timings, and other nuances, Hitchcock brought all new depth to Air Supply’s classic repertoire by singing in the moment, finding new touches within the ever-present lush harmonies and sweeping melodies.

A little Broadway, a little tin pan alley, a bit of British Music Hall, the highly theatrical show teases, and seduces the audience, who are a broad, diverse mix of both age and ethnicity. Twentysomethings sway in time to music that’s fairly new to them, alongside those who grew up with Air Supply. When Russell asks the crowd each night who’s seen the band before, he playfully admonishes the first-timers. “What took you so long?”

These are choruses, melodies, and lyrics that are indelibly etched into our hearts and minds; a cultural fabric that’s familiar but also meaningful. The songs still sound new and fresh because of the timeless theme; love. Their simplicity, elegance, and earnestness resonate powerfully today perhaps because they fly in the face of what has become a coarse, detached, and unforgiving society.

Maybe there’s never been a better time for unabashed sentimentality.

Similarly successful bands in the day, from Styx to Foreigner to Journey, all had one or perhaps two ballads that became hits. But for Air Supply it was their stock in trade. Graham Russell’s ability to craft timeless odes to love even as tastes and genres shape-shifted over the decades is unchallengeable. As a band, Air Supply has never abandoned what made them successful in the first place. They emerge today after almost 50 years in the business with a highly polished patina of professionalism rarely seen in many legacy acts today.

All the more reason to catch this show.

Smartphone flashlights have replaced cigarette lighters when it comes to acknowledging the encores, all arms in the crowd gently swaying to melodies so familiar that they become inseparable from the fabric of one’s life. The power of the music is obvious, but it’s the power of this performance that elevates even the most recognizable melodies to new heights.

Rare is the concert that inspires you to not just revel in the songs but also reflect on your own life; the ups and downs, the in-betweens and the music that always made it all better. At this stage of the game, Air Supply is delivering one of the most emotionally satisfying and entertaining shows I’ve seen in years. Just be prepared. The music sneaks up on you. It taps you on the shoulder. It whispers in your ear. It makes you think about life and, of course, how love has affected your life.

By the end of the show, Venus had ducked behind the mountains, replaced by another iconic symbol of love, a crescent moon that was balanced perfectly over Air Supply. On this night it seemed, even the universe understood.

Written by Chris Epting

Via Laughingmonkeymusic

Such a great interview with a man who has gone about being a rock-star in a healthy way. You won’t find him in the tabloids or out at the bars late night. These days he spends his time at home in Utah, when not on tour tending to his greenhouse, which he grows vegetables and flowers.  He doesn’t live like a rock-star and that is how he has managed to keep rocking for 47 plus years and making over 130 concert appearances per year.

Join Air Supply on the 2023 Lost In Love Experience. Tickets and VIP Packages are ON SALE NOW! Find a show near you in the map below.

via Fox 21 News

“Lost in Love,” “All Out of Love,” “The One That You Love,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All,” have each achieved multi-million plays on the radio for Air Supply.

Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock met on May 12, 1975, the first day of rehearsals for “Jesus Christ Superstar” in Sydney, Australia. They became instant friends with their common love for The Beatles and, of course, singing.

“Lost in Love” became the fastest-selling single in the world, leaping to the top of all of the charts. Now Air Supply was on its way.

The second single was “All Out of Love,” and that went up the charts even quicker.

Seven top-five singles later, Air Supply at that time, had equaled The Beatles’ run of consecutive top-five singles.

The albums Lost in Love, The One That You Love, Now & Forever, and The Greatest Hits sold in excess of 20 million copies. “Lost in Love” was named Song of the Year in 1980, and, with the other singles, sold more than 10 million copies

In this 45th Anniversary Year, the duo continues to play more than 130 shows a year worldwide, including stops in England, Ireland, Israel, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, Canada, the U.S., and beyond.

The band will be performing LIVE in Denver on Thursday, March 23 at the Paramount Theatre. For all the tour and ticket information head to the Air Supply website, linked above.

VAN WERT — Classic pop-rock group Air Supply will bring the Lost in Love Experience to Van Wert’s Niswonger Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The Australian duo made up of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock first formed in 1975, bringing the world hits like “All Out of Love” and “Making Love Out of Nothing at All”, and are still going strong today in their 48th year.

“We do a lot of shows and we come into town and play all these massive hit songs and people just love it,” said Russell, who shares vocal duties with Hitchcock and plays lead on guitar. “It’s going to be a great evening and especially for people that haven’t seen us before, they will get a real treat.”

Russell said that the show will get into the Air Supply catalog and that fans who have not seen them perform might be surprised to hear some songs.

“It’ll be everything for people that haven’t seen this before,” he said. ” It’s a rock and roll show and it’s kind of in your face. There will be a lot of big hit songs that they might not know them all. And then they will probably say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that was those guys,’ because we have a barrage of hits.”

Following a 30-minute break, the group will get into the more emotional side of the show, Russell said.

“They’re going to have a great live show. It’s a rock and roll show that is just excellent that they’re going to love.”

Fans should have high expectations judging by what Russell promises they will come home from the show feeling.

“They should feel like they saw the best show they’ve ever seen,” he said, “and that’s quite likely to happen. But that’s our greatest joy, is to bring people the best show they’ve ever seen.”

For now, Air Supply is working on their first album in 14 years as well as a musical set to be in production next year.

“So there’s a lot of stuff going on,” Russell said. “There’s always things going on. But our prime objective is our shows.”

The group has done over 5,300 live shows, and that is what Russell said they truly want to be remembered for. With the group’s 50th anniversary on the horizon, this might just be a warm-up.

“We don’t do much these days, but we will for the 50th,” Russell said. “We’ll be figuring what we want to do and where we want to be. It’s a milestone for any artist, I think.”

Air Supply can be found on social media and streaming services, as well as the group’s website airsupplymusic.com.

On a cold, romantic, snowy Saturday night date night, the North Shore was nothing cold. Lynn Massachusetts got lost In LOVE with Air Supply.

In your mind, imagine this scene:

2112 SCREAMING female fans at the beautiful Lynn Auditorium. The moment Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell cracked the mic to sing the Air Supply smash, Even The Nights Are Better, the audience was transplanted BACK to their 1980’s teen youth.

Is This Possble?

When my wife told me we are seeing Air Supply, (that’s exactly how it went down) my mind took me to a 1980’s place when I remembered playing their songs on the air, when they were NEW. I said to myself, how can lead singer Russell Hitchcock hit ALL of those high notes, today. Their first big hit Lost In Love, came out in 1980, FORTY FOUR years ago. At 73, there is NO way that Russell Hitchcock could still hit every note. He MUST have backup singers to create the original sound. Was I right?

Sound Check

We arrived at the venue and got into the sound check around 5pm. That’s where the band hit’s the stage before the doors open to make sure the sound equipment and acoustics of the venue sound perfect. It’s a cool private, behind the scenes thing that these days, you can pay for, with some bands. Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell walked out and greeted the small group of fans. Right at that moment, the drummer counted, 1,2,3,4 and BOOM! The amazing band when into the lyric of Even The Nights Are Better. Relaxed, with his hand in his pocket, Hitchcock testing his mic, effortlessly, began singing. WOW! Hitchcock sounded EXACTLY like 1980’s! How is that possible? Heidi and I were stunned. 

Many of the 1980’s artists that perform today, have to adjust the LIVE versions of their songs, because they simple can’t vocally recreate them in the same way, 40 plus years later. Russell Hitchcock, DID. Graham Russell, the band’s lower pitched singer, who wrote their first big hit Lost In Love, still sounds amazing as well.

Sing Along

It was a heartfelt moment when 2112 screaming female fans, began to take over the show and SING EVERY WORD to many of the massive Air Supply hits. I’m not gonna lie. I sang too.

Graham Russell said during the sound check that Air Supply’s success, represents a style of music that never really dies. He felt his meeting Russell Hitchcock and the success of the band was maybe a meant to be, thing, powered by the universe, for a purpose.

The show didn’t have glitzy lights, or effects, or dancers, or back up singers. Just two guys, with three other band mates.

At 73, for Russell Hitchcock to sound EXACTLY the same, if not better, HAD to be powered by a higher power, probably for a reason: love?

Saturday night, Lynn Massachusetts got lost in LOVE. You will too.