It was another rocking Godfather VIP party at the House of Blues Las Vegas as Terri Nunn and Berlin played both their Top Ten 80’s hits (Take my Breath Away, Masquerade, No More Words, Metro, Sex…), and new material from their recently released Voyeur album. The Godfather had 110 of his closest friends up in the Spanda, a private club on the third level of the House of Blues concert hall reserved for Foundation Room members. The private elevator that connects the Spanda to the Mandalay Bay casino assures that no nefarious characters infiltrate the scene, and House of Blues security was visibly present to deter folks that were not on the access list. Sorry bro, only edgy, VegasHotSpots types allowed. Guests came dressed in everything from jeans, to concert chic, to “dressed to the nines.” There is something about entering the Spanda that makes people lose their inhibitions. That and the “Jagermeister & Red Bulls”.
Berlin continues to be fronted by Terri Nunn, the diva deluxe from the 80’s retro period. She is joined by backup singer Linda Dalziel (formerly of Tears from Fears, and a tremendous artist), Dallen on guitar, Mitch on keyboards, and Chris on drums. This line-up recently produced Voyeur, an electronica collection of new Berlin sounds that highlights both the incredible vocals of Terri and the musicianship of Mitch.
The opening act came on at the usual 8:00 pm House of Blues show time. She was a local keyboard player, and warmed the crowd up for the feature attraction. Of course the concert starting has no real impact on a Godfather party. People continued to socialize and frequent the bar in search of adult beverages. Spilling of drinks, hooting and hollering, and making out is only kept to a minimum – it never really goes away. We simply step over those that pass out, and attempt to talk over the incredibly loud music that symbolizes the House of Blues.
Terri Nunn and Berlin came on around 9:00 pm to an enthusiastic and large crowd – the floor was full, most of the balcony seats were filled, and our crowd seemed to have multiplied like rabbits. Who were all these people? Actually, only two inebriated young ladies slipped by security, and they were promptly bounced back down to the floor. Hey, y’all gotta go!
If the concert is over, then it’s time to caravan across the casino to the House of Blues Foundation Room, the Godfather’s favorite post-concert party palace. About 20 hangers-on and well-wishers joined the search for late night entertainment, and more trouble. We took over the “Media Room” upstairs and were pleasantly surprised to have Terri Nunn, Linda Dalziel, and the band drop by for a “meet and greet”. Terri is pretty focused on her fan base, and makes every attempt to sign merchandise and shake hands with her fans.
As evinced by their Las Vegas performance, Berlin continues to rock in a big way. For more information on the band, see the official web site at www.berlinpage.com.
