Still Taking My Breath Away After All These Years

''I remember the letter wrinkled in my hand, I Love You always filled my eyes,I remember the night we walked along the Seine,riding on the metro"
The Metro- Berlin

Ok since this is Kevinrunningfree not Kevin80'sfree I should talk about my run this evening,in fairness there wasn't a lot to blog about it was an 8 mile recovery run following yesterdays 5 event track pentathlon,conditions were hot w/ a decent amount of humidity in the air,for an easy run my bandanna and dri fit shirt were doused in sweat by the end of my run,I have another easy 8 miler on tap tomorrow b4 returning to the track to begin my prep for "the fall classics,5th Avenue Mile and Masters 5K Road race"on Wednesday.
I had hoped to write my report on yesterdays Track Pentathlon but I'm still waiting for the official results to do that entry justice,hopefully tomorrow.

Alright so last nite and Berlin,to put things in perspective let's go back 26 years to the summer of 85,I had known my future and sadly now ex wife Erica for a few months when she sent me a cassette of Berlin's 2 albums "Pleasure Victim" and "Love Life" and I became a fan, a year later Berlin had a worldwide #1 hit w/ "Take My Breath Away" from the soundtrack to "Top Gun" and it seemed the world was their oyster and yet somehow the original line up never put out another album and fell off the face of the earth.
Moving forward to 2005 Berlin were one of several bands featured on VH1's "Bands Reunited" where the original line ups of now disbanded groups got back together,following on from that Terri Nunn the only member who'd done anything while the band was in limbo w/ her 91 solo album ''Moment Of Truth" took the legal rights to the name Berlin and w/ that a new life for the band,comeback album "Voyeur"live album "Sacred And Profane" covers album "4Play" and cd/dvd "All The Way In",the only thing missing was a Philadelphia tour date...........

I had read that Berlin or as they are being presented Terri Nunn & Berlin were opening for Inxs but frankly Inxs w/out Michael Hutchence is like Berlin w/out Terri Nunn and frankly not worth seeing,plus they'd only play for 35/45 mins as an opening act and they weren't playing Philly only NYC and Atlantic City......lo and behold prior to my trip to Cleveland for Nationals I went on Pollstar to check upcoming Philly shows and there it was Berlin at World Cafe Live by themselves......no brainer I was going,after a 24 year hiatus since I last saw them.
I make no bones about my love for Terri Nunn as a female lead singer she's never dropped out of my top three,she has it all,looks voice,sexuality,Terri could recite the alphabet and I'd hang on every letter......so it's no surprise I was at World Cafe Live almost 2 hours b4 the show to secure a "front and center" spot in front of her microphone stand.
I've said in the past I've had several vivid dreams about Terri but like the old saying goes "reality outweighed the dreams"(but the dreams were awesome!!!!)

Opening w/ "Dancing In Berlin" and closing w/ "Masquerade" this was a tour de force of Berlin at their best,sure I was there to see Terri but Chris Olivas(Drums) Carlton Bost(Guitar) and Dave Schultz(Keyboards) made you forget that "back in the day" Berlin were a 6 piece.
I stood feet away from Terri as she sang and danced and at one point got on the shoulders of a bodyguard and walked into the crowd,when did you last see a singer do that?
At one point Terri invited a dozen fans upon the stage to dance w/ the band as she put her arm around one lucky fan the look on his face was priceless"I'm on stage w/ Terri Nunn and she's touching me"oh for a camera.
If you've ever been to World Cafe Live you'll know there are tables in front of the stage and Terri chose them as a mini stage to get closer to the audience and she stopped right in front of me,I'm standing there looking up at this goddess of a woman I've admire for years.....and she takes my hand for the remainder of the song,if I died on the way home I'd have died a HAPPY man!!!!!

Then b4 the end of the show Terri looked down at me,I know everyone say the lead singer was looking at them but I could prove it,Terri pointed at my tshirt a 1984 "Love Life" tour shirt Erica got me when she saw them at the Allentown Fair,I turned to show Terri the back BERLIN w/ Love Life Tour 84 and she smiled,only one thing could make this nite complete.
I wanted to wait after the show on the off chance I could meet Terri but it had been a long day,I'd been up since 4.30am and it was now 10.30am there was every chance Terri and the band would go straight to their van post show and that would be that.....enter my new BFF Chris Olivas.
I thanked Chris for a great show and complimented him and Carlton and Dave for their excellent musicianship anyway Chris and I got chatting for a few minutes and I asked him if he could get Terri to sign my cd booklet from her solo cd "Moment Of Truth" and Chris went backstage w/it,returning a few moments later to ask me name,when he returned my cd booklet it was signed Kevin,Thank You For Philly Love Terri Nunn.......I could've died and gone to heaven.
My parting comment to Chris was "you are truly a rock star in every sense of the word,don't be strangers coming back to Philly".
I hope it's not another 24 years b4 I see Berlin again,but if it is Terri will be 74 and probably still incredibly hot and desirable and I'll be there front and center hanging on every word.