‘Great concerts for great causes’: Air Supply show to support Leesburg Center For The Arts
via Daily Commercial
THE VILLAGES — Air Supply hits the stage this weekend with the “The Lost in Love Experience” at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center.
Get Off The Bus Concerts is presenting the show, which begins at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets for the concert are on sale now and will benefit the Leesburg Center for the Arts.
“We’re looking very forward to it. We’ve played it a couple times already so we’re familiar with the venue,” said Russell Hitchcock, lead singer of Air Supply. “We suggest that people that haven’t seen us before come and see the show, it’s a great show. And for people that have seen us before they know what to expect but it’s going to be a good time for all — that’s for sure.”
The ‘Lost in Love Experience’
Graham Russell and Hitchcock will be performing their “Lost in Love Experience” at the Sharon, featuring some of their most popular hits from the “Lost in Love,” “The One That You Love,” “Now & Forever” and “The Greatest Hits” albums.
“We’ll obviously be featuring all the songs people are familiar with like ‘Lost in Love,’ ‘Here I Am,’ ‘Sweet Dreams,’ ” Hitchcock said. “We have a really cool song in the middle of the show – it’s when I get to go grab a glass of water and chill for a few minutes (laughs).”
Hitchcock says that the band is incredibly talented and it’s a show that audiences are going to love.
“It’s going to be a rock n’ roll show. It’s not going to be two guys with acoustic guitars and easy listening, that’s for sure. It’s very dynamic, there’s a lot of energy,” he said. “The light show is usually great depending on what we have to work with, but I guarantee there won’t be anyone disappointed with the show.”
Joe Bamford, owner of Get Off The Bus Concerts, is excited to have them return to the Sharon for another show.
“We had them two, almost three years ago, and the people that came to that show just absolutely loved them,” Bamford said. “They were singing along with them and they’ll walk right up into the audience and let people sing with them and stuff. It’s pretty cool. So we really wanted to bring them back.”
Supporting local arts
Maria Stefanovic, executive director of the Leesburg Center for the Arts, said she is thrilled to see the concert benefit local arts.
“We’re excited to partner with Get Off The Bus Concerts and Joe Bamford to bring Air Supply to the Sharon Performing Arts Center as a benefit to the Leesburg Center For the Arts programs,” Stefanovic said. “Dollars that we raise will be used to provide art programming throughout the year for artists, creatives and dabblers of all ages.”
Hitchcock said he, too, shares this same passion for supporting the arts.
“Life without art, music, and anything creative would be horrible,” he said. “Of course, if it was never there you wouldn’t miss it, but the fact that there are artists being creative in any form — entertaining people and educating people at the grassroots level, which is the kind of support for these places, makes it possible for the community to get involved,” Hitchcock said.
