Supertramp Back After 9-Year Hiatus

Supertramp Saturday, Aug. 9, The Gorge.

After a nine-year break, Supertramp returned to action this year with a new record and a tour that brings it to The Gorge Saturday night at 7.

Few superstar bands of Supertramp’s vintage (they released their first record in 1970) manage to escape the old-hits curse, but Supertramp is trying: Recent shows have showcased material from the new record, “Some Things Never Change,” their first studio record since 1988’s “Free As A Bird.”

Few bands are brave enough to attempt a comeback following a decade of inactivity, but it was more or less inevitable, said founder, singer and keyboard player Rick Davies.

He said that “while toying around with some possible solo material, I found myself writing songs that sounded more and more like Supertramp.” Davies reassembled key players from the last generation of the band - less Roger Hodgson who departed just before “Free As A Bird.”

The record and the live show open with “It’s a Hard World,” a paean to sticking it out for the long haul. In concert, Supertramp has been playing a three-song set of new material before launching into a run of classics.

Mark Hart, former Crowded House, subs - capably, according to reviews, for the missing Hodgson on such trademark songs as “The Logical Song” and “School.” New-to-the-band guitarist Carl Verheyen sings the chestnut “Take the Long Way Home.”

The show is accompanied by a high-class effects show, including vintage concert clips and the familiar train scene behind the crowd pleasing hit, “Rudy.”

, DataTimes MEMO: Supertramp tickets are $43.55, $33.05 and $27.80, available at Ticketmaster outlets.