Supply and demand
Act fast! Air Supply is almost all out of tickets for Lincoln City gigs.
As origin stories go, the tale of how soft-rock duo Air Supply got its name is pretty mild. Guitarist and vocalist Graham Russell had a dream of a billboard with flashing lights all around it and the words “Air Supply” in the center.
But there’s nothing mild about what followed when Russell Hitchcock’s soaring tenor voice and Russell’s simple-but-majestic compositions began to hit the airwaves. It also set up a great nick-name for their fan club members, the “Air Heads.”
Don’t miss your chance to see the Australian duo, backed by a four-piece group, perform timeless songs like “I’m all out of Love,” “Every Woman in the World” and “Even the Nights are Better,” live at Chinook Winds Casino Resort this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7 and 8.
In 2020, the Australian newspaper, the Herald Sun, proclaimed Air Supply one of the Top Five ”Greatest Aussie Bands” of all time in the company of AC/DC, The Bee Gees and INXS.
Russell and Hitchcock met in 1975 on the first day of rehearsals for an Australian production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” They became instant friends who shared much in common, including their love of The Beatles, whom they’d both seen in 1964 in England and Australia. After their evening performances of “Jesus Christ Superstar” they would perform together in coffee bars, pizza parlors and anywhere they could to hone their vocal skills and harmonies.
Russell wrote constantly and, with the help of “Superstar” pianist Frank Esler Smith, he and Hitchcock recorded a few songs on cassette, one of which was “Love and Other Bruises.” After being rejected by several major record companies, they finally signed a recording deal with CBS Records.
“Love and Other Bruises” was released as the first single of their first album and immediately shot to the top of the charts.
In 1980, they recorded the album “The Earth Is,” which sold more than a million copies. This album was followed by “The Vanishing Race” and with the singles “Goodbye” and “It’s Never Too Late,” the duo again achieved multi-platinum success. The following albums, “News From Nowhere,” “Yours Truly” and “Across The Concrete Sky” gave their second greatest hits album multi-platinum status as they continued to travel the globe.
After a break from recording but still touring constantly, they released “Mumbo Jumbo” in 2010. The first single released, “Dance with Me,” earned a prominent feature article in Billboard Magazine titled “Still supplying the hits after 35 years.” Just a few weeks later, they were honored with a BMI Million-Air certificate recognizing more than three million plays of “All Out of Love.”
In this 45th anniversary year, the duo continues to tour the world, having performed in England, Ireland, Israel, the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Canada and many other countries, including their adopted home, the US.
Showtimes are at 8 pm. Chinook Winds Casino Resort is located at 1777 NW 44th Street, Lincoln City. Tickets, $35 to $65, area available at chinookwinds.com or by calling 1-888-624-6228.