Fans who know that even the nights are better at bergenPAC in Englewood, NJ anxiously await the start of a sold-out 50th Anniversary Concert this Friday, March 13, 2026 evening by the world-famous pop duo, Air Supply.
Comprised of guitarist/songwriter Graham Russell from England and his bandmate, vocalist Russell Hitchcock from Australia, the two members of Air Supply met in 1975 while performing in the Sydney version of Jesus Christ Superstar. After creating their duo, the pair appeared in clubs and coffee houses in Australia prior to touring the United States and Canada with Rod Stewart.
In 1979, Russell and Hitchcock recorded Life Support, an album featuring “Lost in Love,” which climbed the charts in Australia and ultimately found its way to music executive Clive Davis in New York. Davis signed Air Supply to Arista Records and in 1980, “Lost in Love” became the fastest selling hit single in the world, leaping straight up the U.S. charts.
Seven top-five singles later, Air Supply managed to equal The Beatles’ run of consecutive top-five singles. Their albums also sold millions of copies and, since then, several of the duo’s songs have gone on to achieve over a million plays on the radio.
Inside the bergenPAC auditorium, the lights dim as keyboardist Mirko Tessandori, bassist Doug Gild, and drummer Pavel Valdman enter the stage with electric cellists Kat Findley and Jessika Soli. The spotlight shifts from drums to cellos to keyboards to bass as the ensemble’s ethereal sounds envelope the crowd.
Audience members cheer when guitarist Graham Russell and vocalist Russell Hitchcock take the stage. Opening with a powerful rendition of their 1981 Top 5 power ballad, “Sweet Dreams,” Hitchcock starts off singing lead — his voice sounding as clear and powerful as ever — while Russell plays guitar left-handed. The pair croons together in harmony on the song’s mystical “Close your eyes I want to ride the skies in my sweet dreams” chorus before the arrangement builds in intensity under spinning lights.
Concertgoers hoot and holler and Hitchcock exclaims, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen — we are Air Supply!” as the duo turns in a dynamic rendition of their 1982 Top 5 hit, “Even the Nights are Better.” Lights flash over the audience as four-part harmonies fill the bergenPAC auditorium before Hitchcock and Russell sing to one another in front of the cheering crowd.
Moving on to the group’s 1985 Top 20 hit, “Just As I Am,” heads bop as fans sing along with Hitchcock and Russell on the slow rocker’s melodic “And you say you love me just as I am/You always treat me the best that you can” refrain.
Fans sway their arms back and forth as Russell and Hitchcock trade off on vocals on Air Supply’s 1980 Top 5 hit, “Every Woman in the World.” The audience happily joins the pair in singing, “You’re every woman in the world to me/You’re my fantasy, you’re my reality,” on this Graham Russell-penned pop tune.
After Hitchcock announces, “It’s so good to be back in the United States!” the duo performs its 1981 Top 5 hit, “Here I Am.” Five-part harmonies ring out before the crowd joins in singing the song’s “Just when I thought I was over you/And just when I thought I could stand on my own” refrain with Hitchcock as his iconic voice soars throughout the auditorium.
Russell takes over the mic exclaiming, “Good evening, Englewood!” Revealing, “We are approaching 6000 live shows in our careers,” he notes, “TIME magazine said we are ‘the most romantic band in the world,’” to which a fan yells out, “Happy 50th!” Here, Russell plays the twangy 12-string acoustic guitar intro to 1980’s powerful “Chances,” a number which has Kat Findley’s and Jessika Soli’s cellos crescendoing as lights flash to crashing drums and swirling keyboards.
Russell switches over to electric guitar for “Goodbye,” an emotional power ballad which is sung by both “Russells” — Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock.
At the song’s conclusion, Hitchcock holds out his mic and lets the crowd sing the last “Goodbye” before the sold-out house responds with enthusiastic cheers.
Mirko Tessandori’s keyboard and dual cellos accompany Hitchcock as he introduces the melodic ballad, “I Can Wait Forever,” before Russell takes over the lead vocal while strumming his acoustic 12-string.
Hitchcock leaves the stage to Russell who recites a poem entitled “Virginia’s Endless Trees.” After introducing the members of the ensemble, he talks about “how much like life a river is,” prior to performing his original composition, “Me and The River,” a waltz which is accompanied by fingerpicked guitar, keyboard, and two cellos.
Russell tells the story about meeting Hitchcock at a choir practice in Australia a half-century ago and becoming best friends, revealing, “We’ve never had an argument in all these years,” as Hitchcock enters and the crowd cheers for the two colleagues. Here, the pair performs their 1980 Top 40 hit, “Two Less Lonely People in the World,” their voices perfectly harmonizing on the tuneful ballad.
The audience sings along before Russell is featured on a rhythmic acoustic guitar solo where he strums on the strings playing harmonics prior to tapping on the body, creating a symphony of sound which excites the crowd and inspires whistles and cheers.
Concertgoers sway to the rhythm of Air Supply’s 1981 #1 smash, “The One That You Love,” and stand and happily join Hitchcock and Russell in singing the song’s ubiquitous “Here I am/The one that you love/Askin’ for another day” refrain.
Following energetic applause, the group moves on to its 1980 #3 hit, “Lost in Love,” the packed house singing along and clapping to the song’s appealing “Lost in love and I don’t know much/Was I thinking aloud and fell out of touch” chorus.
Kat Findley and Jessika Soli play fast and furiously on their cellos, Pavel Waldman solos on the drums under flashing lights, and Mirko Tessandori offers up a dramatic keyboard solo on the song’s interlude before the crowd stands and cheers for the group’s 1983 #2 smash, “Making Love Out of Nothing At All.” Here, fans enthusiastically sing along with Hitchcock who croons with feeling as this classic ’80s power ballad builds to a crescendo under colored lights.
Fans stand and cheer on their feet and Hitchcock responds, “Thank you so much!” before he and the rest of the ensemble leave the stage.
After concertgoers chant, “One more song, one more song!” the musicians return and Hitchcock announces, “Thank you for coming, and you must not forget — we would be nothing without you!” Here the ensemble launches into an encore of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” where Hitchcock sings in his lower register before switching over to his high register and dazzling the audience with his powerful and emotional performance.
After Hitchcock and Russell thank the group’s sound, lighting, production, and crew personnel, they thank their band members and salute former and active military in the audience. At this point, Russell launches into Air Supply’s 1980 #2 hit, “All Out of Love,” singing, “I’m lying alone with my head on the phone/Thinking of you till it hurts.”
Soon, Hitchcock picks up the song’s famous melody, his words ringing out through the theater, “I’m all out of love/I’m so lost without you/I know you were right believing for so long,” as Russell accompanies him on guitar.
The music builds and swells to a crescendo, and as a recording of The Beatles’ “All You Need is Love” plays, Hitchcock announces, “Thank you, and please be safe!” before the pair takes a final bow and exits the stage to animated cheers and applause.
To learn more about Air Supply, please go to airsupplymusic.com. For information on upcoming shows at BergenPAC — including Rick Wakeman and Son on March 25, Melissa Etheridge on April 10, Paul Anka on April 15, and Audra McDonald on May 3 — please go to bergenpac.org.
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