Legendary voice of Supertramp will serve up a heaping portion of hits at Aug. 10 concert
In 1979, as the Oregon Zoo prepared to launch its first summer concert series, Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" was ensconced at No. 1 on the Billboard album charts, held aloft for six weeks by Top 10 hits like "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song." Supertramp, at least the way we knew them then, is no more, but Roger Hodgson, who wrote and sang nearly all the group's best-known songs, is back this year after almost three decades away from the spotlight. Hodgson brings his "Breakfast in America" tour to town Aug. 10 as part of the zoo's summer concert series, presented by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon with support from U.S. Bank and your local Toyota dealers.
A multi-instrumentalist and founding member of Supertramp, Hodgson helped the band to widespread success over eight albums through the 1970s and early '80s, producing such memorable hits as "Dreamer," "Give a Little Bit" and "It's Raining Again." The singer parted company with the band in 1983, after the "Famous Last Words" album. Opting for a simpler lifestyle, he settled in Northern California, where a home studio allowed him to spend time with his children while continuing to record.
But even when Hodgson stepped away from the limelight, his music never did. "The Logical Song," hailed as a "small masterpiece" by Rolling Stone upon its initial release, has cropped up everywhere from movies (e.g., the Grammy-nominated "Magnolia" soundtrack) to "Simpsons" episodes. "Dreamer," already a Top 40 hit twice over (in 1974 and 1980), found new life in a 2007 Acura commercial.
"Give a Little Bit" has been especially durable. The Gap used the song to drive its 2001 holiday ads, with versions sung by Liz Phair, Macy Gray, Sheryl Crow and others. The Goo Goo Dolls scored a Top 40 hit with their rendition in 2005. And the Supertramp original resurfaced this summer in a feel-good Coca-Cola video that has received more than 5.6 million views on YouTube since June.
Tickets for Roger Hodgson's "Breakfast in America" concert are $28 and can be purchased at the zoo during normal operating hours. Tickets can also be purchased (with service charge) at all Ticketmaster ticket centers, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-745-3000. Purchase of a concert ticket allows entry into the zoo after 4 p.m; the concert begins at 7 p.m.
The zoo concert series will be showcasing a variety of world-renowned artists through September — from blues legend Buddy Guy to hometown heroes Pink Martini to classic-rock favorites Chicago. Other notables this year include the Melissa Etheridge, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Rosanne Cash.
In 1979, the Oregon Zoo became the first in America to host a summer concert series. Now, the series is one of the top outdoor events in the Northwest, and is the region's longest continuously running outdoor series.
Oregon Zoo Summer Concerts is presented by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon with support from U.S. Bank and your local Toyota dealers, and media support from The Oregonian.
The Oregon Zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission of inspiring the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies, Western pond turtles and Oregon spotted frogs. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.
The zoo relies in part on community support through donations to the Oregon Zoo Foundation to undertake these and many other animal welfare, education and sustainability programs. The zoo is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26 at exit 72. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Find fare and route information online or by calling TriMet Customer Service at 503-238-RIDE (7433).
General zoo admission is $10.50 (ages 12-64), $9 for seniors (65 and up), $7.50 for children (ages 3-11) and free for those 2 and younger; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo’s Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $4 per car is also required. Additional information is available by calling 503-226-1561.
Hova Najarian at 503-220-5714 or hova.najarian@oregonzoo.org