Roger Hodgson – Breakfast in America 40th tour
February 22, 2020
Silver Creek Event Center, Four Winds Casino, New Buffalo, Michiga

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For those unfamiliar with the name Roger Hodgson, he was a member of the group Supertramp. Roger sang the hits such as “Give A Little Bit”, “Dreamer”, and “Take The Long Way Home”. Back in the 1980s, Roger left the group, and embarked on a solo career. I never paid much attention to his solo music, but did continue to follow Supertramp. Today, the Supertramp group name is owned by founder Rick Davies and he has been out of commission with health issues lately. Roger wanted to pay tribute to the 40th anniversary of the group’s hit release “Breakfast in America”, and Roger put together his own band to recreate these songs, along with other hits.

On a sunny day in February, we drove down to Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan to take in the Roger Hodgson show. We first enjoyed the casino buffet before the show, which is a nice buffet but kind of pricey. Then, on to the show and our seats.

Promptly at 9pm the lights went down, and the band members took their places before Roger came out and greeted the crowd. The show was sold out and everyone seemed ready for an evening of Supertramp music.

Roger settled in behind his electric piano and began the opening for “Take The Long Way Home”. His band featured drums, bass, keyboards, and a multi-instrument guy who handled sax, harmonica, backing vocals, and keys. The melodic harmonica opening solo was instantly recognizable and sounded perfect. When Roger came in with his lead vocal, he sounded great and it was just like the late 1970s all over again. Afterward, Roger moved from his keyboard and picked up electric guitar. His guitar and the harmonica opened the earlier Supertramp hit “School”, which again sounded studio perfect. They moved into other songs from the “Breakfast in America” release, as well as including some of Roger’s solo material. Of the solo tracks he played, I enjoyed “Along Came Mary” and “Death and a Zoo” most. Some of the special Supertramp songs included were “Even in the Quietest Moments” and “Fool’s Overture”. He did skip over some of the songs typically led by Davies, but I can forgive this – it is Roger’s concert after all. The show lasted about 2 hours, and at 69, Roger rarely sounded like he was losing his voice or lacking energy. He was very pleasant sounding and appeared to appreciate the crowd’s enthusiasm.

The band consists of:
J. Carpenter – Bass/vocals
Michael Ghegan – Sax/harmonica/keys/vocals
Ray Coburn – Keyboards/vocals
Bryan Head – Drums

Having been on the Rick Davies side of Supertramp for years, I have not changed course and feel Roger is presenting a more consistent performance of the Supertramp catalog. Granted, if you are looking for more of the Davies songs, you may be a bit disappointed. But, Roger is doing great with his songs, and his solo material fits well into the set. I’d recommend seeing the show while there is still an opportunity – not much chance to see Supertramp music in Michigan these days.

Setlist – courtsey of setlist.fm:

Take the Long Way Home (Supertramp song)
School (Supertramp song)
Breakfast in America (Supertramp song)
Lady (Supertramp song)
Hide in Your Shell (Supertramp song)
Along Came Mary
A Soapbox Opera (Supertramp song)
The Logical Song (Supertramp song)
Lord Is It Mine (Supertramp song)
Death and a Zoo
Even in the Quietest Moments (Supertramp song)
Had a Dream (Sleeping With the Enemy)
Child of Vision (Supertramp song)
Dreamer (Supertramp song)
Fool’s Overture (Supertramp song)

Encore:
Give a Little Bit (Supertramp song)