Air Supply Draws Largest Crowd Yet

Known for their staple, soft-rock international hits of the early 1980s, Air Supply drew a record-breaking crowd of 16,000 to John J. Burns Town Park Saturday night.

Of the Town of Oyster Bay’s Music Under the Stars free concert series, this marks the largest show this season, officials said.

“Air Supply was here two years ago and they were our biggest show then,” said Deputy Commissioner Patricia Beckerle. “They proved themselves to be consistent.”

For close to two hours, the legendary Australian-native duo brought nostalgia to the overwhelming crowd, as they relived the sounds of the band’s early, powerful chart-topping ballads.

Of their many sensational smash-hits, vocalist Russell Hitchcock and guitarist Graham Russell played “Lost in Love,” which was their first major international hit from their 1980’s fourth album Life Support. They also performed “Making Love Out of Nothing at All,” “Power of Love,” “The One That You Love” and their encore finale “All Out of Love.”

“After 30 years, it’s amazing how original everything still sounds,” said Michael Tesoriero of Plainview, who last saw the band live in 1985. “It’s very nostalgic to actually be here with my little six year old.”

His wife, Jodie Tesoriero, added: “They sound fantastic. That’s one of the things that surprised me—that they sound just as good as they did before, with not one note off. Musically, they haven’t lost anything.”

Several other concert-goers shared the same sentiment, saying the band sounds exactly the way they did over 36 years ago.

“They sound exactly like they did back in ’75,” said Edith Head of Lindenhurst. “I’m kind of shocked that they’re still around, but very happy.”

As for John Narbutt, the performance was worth his commute from Queens.

“It reminded me a lot of the songs that I heard years ago. It brings back a lot of memories,” he said. “Their voices haven’t changed.

Hitchcock and Russell met in 1976, as cast members in Sydney, Australia, during the production of Jesus Christ Superstar. For over three decades long, Air Supply has relished in the success of several worldwide hits. They currently continue to tour around the country.

“The power of good music transcends decades,” said Joe Songco of North Bellmore. “It’s very impressive.”