There exists that handful of acts who can, through their sheer passion for the music and their skill and virtuosity, not only satisfy their audience on their own, but cause any other act associated with them to lift their game as well.

Austrialian combo Air Supply is among that group and when the rest of the band joined co-leads Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock at the front of the stage for their final bows, they knew full well that they had done more than just sing and play: they had given of themselves. But more on the featured act later.

Air Supply's Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock pour it on

The proceedings got underway promptly at 9:00 (8:59, by producer Walter Elmore's watch) with Tessanne Chin - who was on point from beginning to end. The crowd remained fairly sedate through her first three selections, this despite tight musicianship and the artiste clearly feeling the moment. But they showed signs of life from the first strains of her smash, Hideaway, and on conclusion, registered their approval with rousing applause.

In Tarrus Riley, roots music has its most unassuming yet intense ambassadors. He took the stage with Battlefield before charging into Larger Than Life. Having thus asserted himself, Riley then settled on a stool at the front of the stage picked up his guitar and proceeded to win over the crowd with a humourous and appealing ditty about a baby, the kind that gives so much trouble, but is still eminently lovable.

Investment banker-turned singer-songwriter Alaine took something of a risk in coming out in dancehall diva style, although her sequined cap and top with cherry red tights were quite fetching. She delivered Deeper and Wine among others with a complement of dancers but the audience just did seem to be in that kind of mood.

A view of the sold-out crowd that witnessed the Air Supply show at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on Saturday night (Photos: Karl McLarty)

The versatile artiste pulled off a neat save though. When she sat herself down before a keyboard and delivered great renditions of her current single, Sacrifice, and the cut that started it all, No Ordinary Love, the latter slowed down just right.

Richie Stephens was first to take the crowd's energy to the next level and gave patrons strong cause for giving up their seats. He rattled off Trying To Get To You and Marvin Gaye's bedroom anthem Let's Get It On, among others, in quick succession, before inviting his mom, Mama Carmen, to join him for the inevitable Shine. Stephens then sealed the deal with a masterful ersion of Take Me Away.

The night's feature act seemed to have had The Beatles on their minds, as the long interval preceding their entrance was peppered with Fab Four songs and their own entry was heralded by another Beatles selection.

Once on stage, however, it was all Air Supply, their opening number, Power of Love may not have had quite the drama it did when they opened with it in Montego Bay in January, but for the audience it didn't matter. The sing-along was underway and would hardly let up (there was one new song, Wherever You Are), a virtuoso musical interlude while the two leads changed and possibly two other selections that may not have been familiar to the general public.

But other than those, it was all hits, by which time the barrier between regluar patrons and VIPs had been all but obliterated. Sweet Dreams (with a truly stunning intro), Here I Am, Two Less Lonely People, Just As I Am the one-two punch to cap the night, Makin' Love (Out Of Nothing At All) and the song that took them out of the 'play-for-pizza' circuit for good, All Out Of Love.

Technically, the show ran smoothly with no visible hitches. Despite a late call by emcee Paula-Ann Porter for persons to keep the aisles clear, traffic management and security were deftly handled. The lighting was of a standard befitting the event, but the acoustics inside the Indoor Sports Centre continue to be generally unfriendly to vocalists - less so to their instrumental chorts.

The Turnkey folks have now concluded a neat double with acts that starred the Jazz and Blues fest in Mobay returning to the island to thrill Kingston audiences; it happened with Kenny Rogers (he announcement of his name in the 2007 Jazz line-up was greeted by a thunderous cheer) and now with Air Supply. Those who make the journey to Mobay in January will no doubt be keen to see who does best this time around.

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