Berlin

If it’s the perfect embodiment of emotional, high-energy, ’80s synth pop you want, it’s Berlin you will get. Formed in 1980 at the precipice of that musical era, front-woman Terri Nunn, and founding members John Crawford (bass/synth), and David Diamond (synth/guitar), Berlin wove themselves into the sleek fabric of the decade’s keyboard-powered sound. 

They claimed their stake with massive hits such as “The Metro,” “Sex (I’m a …)” and the movie power ballad “Take My Breath Away.” To the dismay of their diehard fan-base, the band split in 1988 and didn’t play another show for over a decade. In that time, something beautiful must have cleared, because they have been back to touring and recording since the early 2000s. While staying true to their roots, Berlin’s sound has evolved, introducing an even darker, moodier temperament in more recent projects. 

Eight albums and four decades later, the band is kicking off their 40th Anniversary celebration in Miami just before their run as headliners aboard The 80s Cruise, a weeklong Caribbean voyage and floating nostalgia bash produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions. Co-headlining the kick-off show on land will be ’80s Scottish rockers Big Country. Audiences may be left awestruck at how, almost 40 years post-heyday, Big Country’s musicality and presentation are as energetic and entertaining as ever. This is probably because Big Country have been touring their own shows and festivals almost annually since their inception. 

Big Country

With the success of Berlin’s 2019 album, “Transcendance,” and an impressive 2020 touring schedule, it seems there’s no clear end in sight for these ’80s icons. On Berlin’s YouTube page, Nunn says of their latest single and music video, “Animal,” “I wanted to film people of all ages enjoying their animal natures.” She credits video director Chad Michael Ward (Marilyn Manson and Combichrist) for perfectly capturing the essence of the song. The youngest heathen in the video is just 19, while the oldest is 76. Nunn, being badass at 58 herself, can surely attest to the age-defying animal power of pop.

Berlin and Big Country perform 7pm Saturday, March 7 at The Ground @ Club Space in Miami  ~ Freddie Zandt