New Wave legend brought her band Berlin to the Friday night with an outstanding concert that worked well on so many levels.
The show opened with a video montage (created by Devo's Jerry Casale) culled from past Berlin music videos that was punctuated with some live synthesizer ambiance. The excitement in the crowd grew to a point that when the band took the stage, the audience erupted with enthusiasm.
Berlin has grown from a synth dominant band to an outfit that has found the right balance between guitar (Carlton Bost) and keyboard (Dave Schulz), and locked down with a truly solid drummer (Chris Olivas).
All of this superb musicianship serves Nunn quite well, as she proves that she remains a dominant force in the world of female rockers. Ageless in beauty and with a voice of broad range, Nunn's vocalization can be described as pure pop perfection.
The energetic set was comprised of all the Berlin hits, including "The Metro," "No More Words," "Sex (I'm, a )," along with some surprise entries, including Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love." As this was their holiday show, there was a brief nod to the season with Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song" as well as a Christmas classic.
For their encore, Nunn made a heartfelt dedication to a dear friend with the song "Take my Breath Away" that brought the sentiment meter to 10. Ending the show on an upbeat note, Berlin performed "Masquerade" to an audience that was on their feet and dancing.
What struck me most about this show was how Nunn created a truly intimate experience by giving so much to her fan-base. From being carried through the crowd on the shoulders of a very large stage hand to allowing members of the audience to join the band on stage to dance, it was an entertaining experience to be remembered by all.
