You’d think a group that sings more love songs than Paul McCartney might wear thin over an entire concert, but that would be underestimating Air Supply. Yes, the song’s themes have a bandwidth that ranges from “I Love You” to “I’m Sorry, Take Me Back” to the inevitable “I’ve Lost You Forever,” and the melodic structure remains consistent from tune to tune, but damn, why mess with something that works so well?
The duo of guitarist Graham Russell and lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock (two Russells?) have been together for 44 years, and will play their 5,000th live concert this Labor Day weekend. They’re doing something right, and I’ll tell you what it is: they put on a great show without undue fanfare. No pyrotechnics, no costumes, no giant horn-and-string section muddying the waters. Most importantly, vocally, both remain in top form. Many concerts by older artists fall somewhere between “sad” and “painful,” but Hitchcock hasn’t lost his edge—his tone, pitch and sustained notes are as strong as ever.
The whole band enjoys the show, and each other. Russell said he’d never had an argument with Hitchcock in those 44 years, and I believe him—they’re nice. They give the three supporting band members—particularly guitarist Aaron Mclain, who’s extraordinary—multiple introductions, plenty of love and front-man time. They thanked everyone, and introduced all the crew by name, even bringing out their longtime road manager, Sparky (no kidding), for a bow. (Speaking of love songs, I’ve seen Sir Paul a few times, and I still don’t know the names of any of his current band members, never mind his sound man.) They liked the Berkshires and the theater, and said so, believably.
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, formerly a movie theater, has recently undergone a facelift, and the sound, seating and access show it, while it still retains its 1900’s charm. Including the balcony, we’re looking at 750 seats, and there isn’t a bad one in the house. Additionally, the size encourages interaction with the audience, and Air Supply took good advantage.
What did they sing? “Sweet Dreams,” “Even the Nights Are Better,” “Here I Am,” “The One That You Love,” “Two Less Lonely People in the World,” “Making Love Out of Nothing at All,” “Lost In Love,” “All Out of Love,” a personal favorite, Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” and a few more. Almost—but not quite, everything, ’cause that would have meant another night or two, and I’m sure there were plenty of couples wanting to go home and, uh, snuggle.
—Suzanne Cadgène
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