Every time a band or group with timeless music comes into San Antonio, it’s bound to be a can’t-miss show. It’s for this reason I headed to the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts for the very first time to eagerly catch soft rock duo Air Supply on their show titled “The Lost in Love Experience.”
The show started promptly at 8 p.m., and the roughly 1,700 fans in attendance lost their minds seeing Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock walk out on the Tobin Center stage. They wasted no time getting into some of their hits over their vast catalog that’s only continued to immortalize itself over the last 50 years; “Sweet Dreams” and “Even the Nights Are Better” were early indicators of how loud this crowd was going to be.
They had their share of technical difficulties early on but the duo knew how to make the best of it by telling jokes and sharing stories to keep the crowd entertained. Even when Hitchcock’s microphone wasn’t working and Russell’s guitar wouldn’t play, they still had the biggest smiles on their faces getting to play for the San Antonio crowd.
“We take nothing for granted,” Hitchcock expressed. “We do sincerely appreciate you coming to see us tonight here.”
On songs like “Just As I Am” and “Chances,” Hitchcock’s vocals sounded fantastic. He understandably doesn’t sound like he did back on their recordings decades ago but his vocals have aged so well, giving a fresh feel to the tracks’ live renditions.
Russell infused his humorous charm during a section of the show he affectionately dubbed the “G-Spot,” where the band took a breather and he took time to recite a poem. The poem was unexpectedly full of namedrops of all the iconic Texas restaurants they drove past throughout their road trip; Whataburger and Buc-ee’s unsurprisingly drew the most passionate cheers.
The duo then shared anecdotes about how they met, their artistic collaboration and their enduring friendship. They followed this by sitting side by side, with the spotlights shining down only on them as they sang “Two Less Lonely People in the World.” It was a very sweet moment of the show, one that encapsulates so well why they’ve still managed to work together so well over these past decades.
When they got to another one of their famous ballads, “That One That You Love,” most of the crowd began to stand and from here on, rarely ever sat back down. “Lost in Love” followed right after, and had the whole crowd clapping and singing with so much joy. A “lost in love experience,” indeed.
Just when you thought the energy in the room couldn’t get any higher, the piano notes for “Making Love (Out of Nothing At All)” began to play, and the fans’ excitement was through the roof. The way Hitchcock performed this song was unbelievable, with each verse sounding more passionate than the last as it built up to a raucous finish. The climactic guitar solo and Hitchcock’s repeating lines of “out of nothing at all” were so powerful. It is my favorite song of theirs, but bias aside, it was still my favorite performance of the night.
As high of a note that was, Air Supply couldn’t end the show without an encore. They came back out to rapturous cheers, performing “Without You,” and “All Out of Love.” Every cell phone light went up and every audience member’s voice rang loudly through the Tobin Center, singing along with Air Supply one last time.
“The Lost in Love Experience” evoked the same feeling that I imagine most people had watching live music decades ago. The minimal cell phones, the bright spotlights that would shine brightly on each artist, and the heartfelt ballads that rang true to every audience member. Seeing a show like this that only bands like Air Supply can deliver was a wonderfully refreshing sight to see.
