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.