DISQUS

David · 2 years ago

This post really made me smile. You and your mom are lucky to have each other.

But you knew that.

Jude · 2 years ago

love that one photo...BASS FACE!!
love the Time-Life infomercial for two things: first, that gaudy looking lemonade pitcher which just screams out old folks. Secondly, Angela, and how really inconsequential she is to the whole production. Hilarious.

Carlos · 2 years ago

I would have paid just to see them do Jim Steinman's Making Love Out of Nothing At All anytime!

Richard Brandt · 2 years ago

The world is just potato chips/joined together at the female hips. Ah, AllMusicGuide, the money you save me. It says here that the Russells met in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Somehow, if only it had been Godspell, I feel that story wouldbe perfect.

I'm betting next time I'm in Vegas my odds of getting Air Supply tickets are pretty good.

Lost in Love in my book has uncommonly savvy lyrics that make it the Air Supply song for which one need feel least ashamed of harboring a soft spot.

Bedheaded · 2 years ago

Note that it's a pitcher of blue lemonade...sweet and blue? Sounds like mellow gold to me.

George · 2 years ago

Great review! Really made me laugh out loud. I wonder what John Waite thinks of opening for these guys. He's had quite a curious career. With his solo stuff, Babys stuff and Bad English stuff he's toured with quite the array of bands. I believe Bad English once came to my town opening for Whitesnake. That's quite a leap from Air Supply. I believe John the Bad English boys went bowling after the show at our local bowling alley. I live in MN now, but I have fond memories of Westbury from when I was a young lad growing up in LI. I believe my first-ever concert there was Sha Na Na with Jay Leno opening. Looks like there's quite a bit of 'mellow gold' coming through there this summer (Natalie Cole, Boz Scaggs, Eddie Money, Donny Osmond, Bolton, Michael McDonald).

andy · 2 years ago

Laugh out loud! Guilty secrets (I am older than you I think)! I never got my Mum to a gig and never will - a good job too - shes 71 this year. You are a lucky man. I love the photos. A man of a certian age and a vest should never meet. I lost that thing in my 20s. And as for the bass player - I thought my secrets are guilty!

Dw Dunphy · 2 years ago

This was a fun little write-up. Sadly, Hitchcock looks an awful lot like Bea Arthur with a thyroid condition, but it's good that they a) still perform and b) are still pretty good at it.

Py Korry · 2 years ago

A couple of things on the You Tube clip of the concert:

1. Russell Hitchcock's "skip-shuffle" is actually his version of the walk the Pink Panther does in the cartoon -- only it's a fat human version.

2. During the third chorus, Graham Russell must not be aware he has one of those "Britney Spears/Christian motivational speaker" mics because he's going in for the single mic duet during the vocal punches.

One other thing...Do you think these guys cover G-n-R songs during the soundcheck with "Metal Guy" on the bass?

Shelley · 2 years ago

We must be of an age, Air Supply was my first concert too, when I was 9. I had such a crush on Russell Hitchcock with his big hair and big voice and those tight red pants he used to wear. Umm, do you remember the tight red pants too, Jason?

Jason · 2 years ago

Ted, I can't believe you made it through the entire clip!

Terje · 2 years ago

Always a pleasure to read your blog when you cut back on the snark a bit and reveal your true colors, Jason. I taped Just As I Am from radio in the mid 80s, and I played it to pieces - I always loved those big piano-centric ballads - still do, I guess. I laughed out loud when I read about the cd in the glove compartment - I've been doing the same thing to my parents for years. And btw, thanks for link the link last week - I've been on vacation and I just noticed. Thanks to you, it's now my biggest hit!

TJ · 2 years ago

Air Supply Greatest Hits was one of my first cassettes - I received it with a walkman for Christmas about '85. I constantly embarrass my wife with my ability to sing every lyric to every one of their hits. I like to just bust out All Out of Love for no good reason other than to irritate her.

Jason · 2 years ago

You and I should totally go on a double-date.

Disa · 2 years ago

I am still laughing , I can just pictured in my mind. Say hello to everybody. Dis.

Dw Dunphy · 2 years ago

Even the nights are better, although I'm a heavy sweater, this silk might as well be leather the way I've soaked through!

Dartannon · 2 years ago

Just saw Air Supply in Wendover Nevada.... June 23... looked to be much the same concert you saw....
I was just wondering... do you or anyone out there know...
Are either Russell or Grahm gay?
Were they a couple?

Robert · 2 years ago

I was about to ask the same thing, Dartannon. (Are you a Musketeer?) Is that just a rumor that's taken on a life of its own? Because I swear I heard that the Russells were lovers long before that "SNL" skit in which Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan played Air Supply and made out with each other. Please, someone clear this up, because if I'm wrong then I need to tell my parents I've misled them.

There isn't a single Air Supply song that I like (I recently said that about Duran Duran as well before discovering a song of theirs from '86 called "Skin Trade"), but I have no doubt they put on a great concert for the people who do love their hits. They've been performing for over 30 years -- how could they not be good at what they do? But they should get Jonni Lightfoot to cut it out with the devil horns. Fuck your ironic hand gestures, sir! You took this gig because you needed the money and you ARE getting the money thanks to Air Supply still being popular, so be a professional and keep your sarcastic metal impulses in check!

"Hitchcock looks an awful lot like Bea Arthur with a thyroid condition" -- Dw, you did done it again!

Jason, I'm glad you came full circle. I can imagine how satisfying that must feel, as silly as it sounds.

Robert · 2 years ago

To me it sounds like Hitchcock is definitely having trouble hitting the high notes in the Time-Life infomercial. Was Angela screwing with his mojo during the shoot?

ASFanForLife · 2 years ago

www.AirSupplyBlog.com

We sat in the same section and Russell did spend a lot of time with the audience there. Good for you for pushing your mom to him!

Thanks for the great write up on these guys.

Mike Zerbe, drummer, is awesome.

Jed Moss, pianist/keyboardist, is a classically trained pianist and we only get to see a small piece of that during the intro to Faith In Love when he gives us a little something extra (check out the clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rL6pIi70N0).

Jonni Lightfoot DOES rock! You should have seen him in the Mohegan Sun arena on Sunday night where he played to about 6,000 fans. He was incredible and had all the moves of a rock star! What you saw in Westbury can't even compare to the energy he gave out on Sunday!

Thanks for sharing your experience and for telling people that Air Supply is still out there and is surprisingly awesome if you haven't seen them lately!

ASFan

Mike · 2 years ago

Neither Russell nor Graham are gay. Graham has been happily married for many years now to the beautiful Jodi Russell. Russell is also happily married to a woman named Laurie. This is his fourth marriage but so far so good. Air Supply really always puts on a great show ! I took a few friends with me (who'd never seen them ) to the last one back in Oct and they were all pleasantly surprised by how much they liked it and how energetic the show was. I think they figured it would all just be sleepy ballads but the show is actually very upbeat and fun.

Robert · 2 years ago

Thanks for the clarification, Mike.

Mom · 2 years ago

That's my boy.We had a blast, and I can't wait until they play at Northfork again next year for the 27th consecutive year. Love you jay.Mom

KRL · 2 years ago

Always love
Grham Russell and then Russell Hitchcok..I also remember the commercial they did for WPIX radio in NYC...Your Ex want you back..
Can not say I was a fan as I was 14-17 during their run. But as a musician and a love for song, I could always appreciate the bridge in Lost in Love:,,,,...You know you cant fool meeee...Great chord changes

Dan · 2 years ago

Awesome review. I just caught The Supply at the Michigan State Fair. It was a free show and the crowd was pretty small at first and you could kind of see the dissapointment in Russel Hitchcock's little wrinkled turtle face. But then he and the tall guy proceeded light rock the shit out of the place. Everything was perfect, down to the cheesy walk-through-the-crowd-hugging-peopleshtick. It totally won me and my wife over and by the All OutOf Love encore, I was standing on my seat,shouting along. I can think of no better way to relive everything cheesy and great about the '80s in70 sweet minutes.Props to the band for onlyplaying the hits and letting me out in time to get to sleep early -- an appropriate end to a most mellow evening.

Jason · 2 years ago

Comment of the week right here!

dolly · 2 years ago

Mike - your post of July 31 says Russell Hitchcock is happily married to wife #4 - hope this is true, however I 've seen A/S 8 times since Jan and he hasn't worn a wedding ring this year at all (note the left hand in the picture kissing Jason's mom. Have you spoken with him since Oct '06 to verify this information? Just curious. You are right - they always put on a great show.
Jason - loved your review - absolutely wonderful!! Laughed out loud - light-hearted fun and yet complimentary for all the right reasons!! You are great!!!