Betsy's View

Las Vegas Singer/Songwriter Frankie Moreno Spreads His Wings

This past week, singer, songwriter and pianist Frankie Moreno boarded a plane and headed out to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to join the 80s band Air Supply for the first of a dozen nationwide concerts in February.

A headliner and Las Vegas mainstay for the past seven years, Frankie Moreno has decided it’s time to mix things up a bit and go out on tour. 

For the month of February, Frankie Moreno joins Air Supply on the road as Air Supply pianist of 12 years Jed Moss takes the month of February to perform with Salt Lake City’s Ballet West  (Madame Butterfly with Gong) and The Sundance Trio.

Frankie Moreno’s first performance with Air Supply was at the Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.  Moreno said it was “a great venue, a great crowd and a whole lot of fun!”

A day and half and some 1,500 miles later, the tour bus deposited the band in Grand Rapids, Minnesota where they would play to a full house at the Reif Performing Arts Center. Not only was the winter weather in Minnesota kind to its visitors, the Grand Rapids residents and Reif Center patrons were incredibly warm and inviting hosts.

The auditorium at the Reif Center was large yet intimate and the stage stood only a foot from the floor, providing  patrons the unique opportunity to stand toe to toe with their guests.

Only his second performance with Air Supply, Frankie Moreno fit right in and didn’t miss a beat.  Some of his comfort can be attributed to the fact that two Air Supply band members are also members of the Frankie Moreno Band; guitarist Russ Letizia and drummer Mike Zerbe.  The dynamic between the three was evident, and their comfort with each other transformed into a great performance together with Air Supply.

After the concert, Air Supply had a VIP meet & greet where fans and patrons had a rare opportunity to casually mingle with the band for a few hours.  Fans had old albums signed, posed for pictures with the band, and took time to meet and talk with Air Supply’s newest additions, Frankie and Russ. 

The concert was a lot of fun, the VIP meet & greet was a success, and the band got to unwind for a few hours after their long bus ride from Pennsylvania.  And, it was Frankie’s birthday.  With all those musicians in the room, you would have thought a special birthday song would have been sung, but in its place were a few happy birthday cheers and toasts.  Smiles filled the room -- not a bad way to celebrate your special day.

No stranger to a life on the road, Frankie Moreno packed his bag and got on the tour bus later that night and headed down to Air Supply’s next show south of Minneapolis.  Air Supply then heads out to California, Arizona, New York, and New Jersey, and then ends the month in Wendover, Nevada, where Frankie bids Air Supply farewell.

In early March, Frankie Moreno joins country music star and long-time friend Billy Currington in Nashville, Tennessee where they will prepare for Billy’s upcoming U.S. tour. Frankie begins the tour with Billy Currington at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York as Billy’s new piano player. 

Having known each other for many years, Frankie will undoubtedly feel very comfortable with Billy, and perhaps we’ll even have the opportunity to see the two write together as they did many years ago in Nashville. 

It’s starting out to be a great year for Frankie Moreno.  The Frankie Moreno Band is the perfect combination of talent, instinct and emotion, Frankie gets a chance to go on the road with 80s chart toppers Air Supply, and Frankie begins a year-long tour with country star Billy Currington.  Frankie is also working on a couple of new CDs, including a much-anticipated Classical CD and will still perform at Rush at the Golden Nugget when he has time off the road. 

Finding time for it all may seem like a daunting task, but if anyone can do it, Frankie Moreno can. Frankie NEVER disappoints! Watch him soar! 

To learn more about Frankie Moreno, visit FrankieMoreno.com, MySpace, FaceBook, BermudaRecords, and WhiteElephantNoise.

Read more about Frankie Moreno here at Betsy’sView.