A rock opera brought the two together. Russell and Hitchcock met by chance on the set of "Jesus Christ Superstar" in Australia in 1975. Soon they were recording songs. Their first Australian single, "Love and Other Bruises," made it to No. 2 in 1976. Their debut album hit gold after six weeks on the charts. But it wasn't until "Lost in Love" was released in 1980 that Air Supply became a worldwide success.

To mark their 30th anniversary, Air Supply taped a couple of shows they played last month at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario, about 1 1/2 hours north of Toronto. "We decided to tape the show (there) because it's a great venue," Hitchcock said.

"And we had the luxury of two nights," Russell said. "When you record something, you need two nights in case anything goes wrong."

As it turns out, Air Supply tapes a live show about every 10 years. "We taped our first live concert in 1983 in Hawaii," Russell said. "Then in 1996 we taped a show in Taiwan, and now, in 2004, in Canada." The DVD and CD of the show are scheduled to be released in January.

Saturday's concert in Sandy will be the first time Air Supply has played in Utah for a number of years. "The reason we don't play there more often is that no one's asked us," said Russell. That's surprising, given the fact that the band has strong Utah ties. Three of the five band members call the Beehive State home. Besides Russell, who's been living outside of Park City full time for the past 10 years, bassist Jonni Lightfoot and pianist Jed Moss both live in Salt Lake City. (Hitchcock lives in Los Angeles and drummer Mike Zerbe in Las Vegas).

Another Utah gig seems to be looming on the horizon, Russell said. He and Hitchcock have been in contact with Utah Symphony & Opera about a possible performance with the symphony. "It'll be in 2005, but we don't know yet if it'll be in Abravanel Hall or in Deer Valley." While Air Supply doesn't often appear with orchestras, it's something that both Russell and Hitchcock enjoy. "We're looking forward to playing with the Utah Symphony," Russell said.

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If you go . . .

What: Air Supply

Where: Sandy Amphitheater, 9400 S. 1300 East

When: 8 p.m., Saturday

How much: Lawn seating $18, senior citizens and children, $15; priority seating, $21; premium seating, $25

Phone: 568-2787 or 467-8499

Web: www.smithstix.com

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E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com