Well, Ron and I were suffering from "Berlin Withdrawal", as it had been about 6 weeks since the House of Blues show, so we were really primed for the show. We were also eagerly awaiting the release of the "Fall Into Heaven 2" EP.

The opening band was again Phaedrus and they warmed up the crowd pretty well. During the warm-up, Ron made the comment that somehow we were members of the rowdy table again. This time, I had taken Deanna (my zealous dance partner from the 2/5/99 Santa Barbara show) and she had no trouble contributing to the action at our table. We were even treated to a table walk by Phaedrus’ lead singer, microphone cable and all!

Terri and the band started with Masquerade (see the playlist, below) and the place went wild.

In general, as far as the performance itself is concerned, I don’t know that there is much more that I can say that I haven’t already said in previous "editions". There is so much energy and passion in the live arrangements and performances, even relative to the original, recorded versions, that we just keep coming back for more! Perhaps some of the best examples of this are the live versions of Touch, Tell Me Why, Confession Time, and certainly The Metro. This band just does not disappoint!!!

Terri mentioned during our interview on 4/26 that she was thinking about adding Pictures of You to the live set. I have been listening to this again, recently, (from "Love Life") and I think she is right on the money, especially with her current band. I don’t know that anyone could beat the drums better than Rodger would on this track, and the recorded version already has tremendous energy.

Getting to some of the photos, Berlin had new lighting for this show instead of the "monster" spot that was used in the last Coach House show. It was rather ethereal and made for some interesting (albeit, even more challenging than usual) photos.

Terri looked totally awesome, as usual, tastefully attired in another devastatingly HOT outfit. I took these next three, of which the first one is my favorite, and Ron took the four that follow:

I managed to get a piece of Rodger in this next shot with Terri. (This guy is one awesome drummer!!)

I really like this first one of Ron’s shots:

Getting back to the aural side of things, the sound was also different, but excellent. One of the people that came with our group this time around was a first-timer. He was totally blown away on a number of fronts including Terri’s vocals, the tightness of the rest of the band, the mix/sound, and the personal delivery. (He was sitting with Tazz’s group when Terri walked out on their table and gave Tazz a big hug while singing Take My Breath Away…. Ron and I are sorry we couldn’t get a picture of this event for Tazz from our vantage point!) He now understands why Ron and I have attended so many shows and is planning on taking his wife, also a big Berlin fan, to the Vegas HoB show on July 10 (we will be looking for you, there).

Besides Tazz, it was also great to see some of the other "regulars", including Geri, Jacque, and Deanna, Diane and Terry, Tania, and most definitely Terri’s Paul! Ron and I also had an opportunity to meet "Steve".

Terri also mentioned during our interview that she was considering adding some INXS to the set. As can be seen from the playlist, Need You Tonite, was the selection and the Berlin version was outstanding! (I am somewhat glad that she didn’t choose Never Tear Us Apart; I don’t know if I could have withstood the further emotional intensity that undoubtedly would have been in Terri’s version.)

To our surprise, Ray was playing keyboards again. It was great seeing him again since he was the first Berlin member I met after the Harry O’s show in which the "touch of Terri" just blew my socks off. I tried getting some shots of Ray but we were closer to Dallan’s side of the stage. (I don’t have 1 roll back from Deanna yet that was one of the rolls she gave me to shoot after her batteries died and before mine did!) Between Ron and I, we got a few shots that weren’t great but we wanted to get something in this issue to welcome him back. Berlin is fortunate to have two great keyboardists!

We found out after the show that Charlotte will be on hiatus for a while. She is a very talented addition to the band and we will miss her. Of the several shots I tried to get of Charlotte, this next picture with Terri probably came out the best. The look in her eyes reminded me of the same intensity in many of Terri’s expressions.

We certainly can’t forget Dallan. He performed in his usual expert manner. Ron got a great "poster" type shot:

Ron also got the next one, taken during Sex, I’m A….:

The next one with Terri is probably the best shot I got of Dallan, at least in terms of focus:

Although I didn’t receive these in time to include in the 3/27 Coach House Edition, these next two were shot by Deanna at that show and I thought they were good enough to include with this edition:

Ron also snapped this shot of some of our table-mates who wanted to "go public". There was no shortage of exuberance at our table! I’m not sure of the spelling, but from left to right they are Ed, Robin, and Sheryl.

After the show, we managed to get backstage for just a little while. We had a blast talking with Terri’s Paul, and also with Ray (I was reminiscing about Harry O’s again).

Then Terri came in! Even after a show in which she always gives 210%, Terri was stunningly radiant, and her presence was absolutely awesome! Man, it’s hard to think when you get her undivided attention! It was great to see her again after the interview (in which we had all gotten to know each other a little better). I thanked Terri again for the experience of a lifetime, which never ceases to amaze me with where it’s going next! Ron also snapped a picture of Terri and me that I will cherish forever! (Paul was right. That dress was incredible!)

As a personal aside, one can generally form an opinion regarding a performer from their recorded music, interviews, live performances, etc. Looking back, I realize that I have had the rare opportunity to get to know Terri a little better as time has progressed. I could easily go on for a page, or more, summarizing all of the great experiences Terri has afforded us over the past 10 months, but they all really lead to the same conclusion.

In addition to being such a special performer, Terri is also an extremely special person. She has exceeded any opinion/expectations I may have had before this chain of events by orders of magnitude.

Deanna, who has got to be one of the most zealous Berlin fans I have ever met, also was able to get backstage with us. She was able to meet Terri and get a picture with her. Terri has been her idol for some time, and this was more than evident by her reactions to meeting Terri and getting one of those hugs (actually, more than one) that ranks right up there as a religious experience, in my book.

I think all the tracks are great but Turn You On is my favorite so far. Steps 99 has even more passion than the "Fall into Heaven" version, as Terri really wails on it. (OUCH!) Gabriel still showcases Terri’s outstanding vocal talents and the added percussion seems to have some serious 3D effects. Maybe some Q-Sound or equivalent processing? The live version of The Metro exhibits major punkage! I don’t know that I remember hearing such a punked-out version at the shows that I’ve attended, but it does remind me of the "Happy Hour" version. (Wonder where it was recorded…)

In general, I really enjoy the live recordings. I still can’t listen to Courage from the first "Fall into Heaven" EP without getting goose bumps from head to toe. Even though the venue’s reinforcement gear is pushed to the max on a few occasions, having the vocals up front in the rather sparse, but ethereal, mix captures nuances such as the way Terri breathes while she performs it. (Standing in front of her at Harry O’s while she was singing this song made me think, "Wow, she moves more air than an opera singer!") It also has a wide range of vocal styles from pure growl to the sweetest "Yeah" that I think I have ever heard (about 3:10 into the track). Although I am somewhat of an audio purist, I must admit that the uncompressed dynamics of an occasional "pop" from a "P" sung into a mike with a minimal windscreen that bottoms the reinforcement drivers and resonates the whole venue also adds a certain "immediacy" not found on most studio recordings. I eagerly await more live tracks on future Berlin releases!