Sunday, January 25, 2004

So I tuned in as the host was meeting Ron Learned at the airport. Former drummer for Berlin, Learned left the band abruptly as they were recording their second album - no explanation, he just disappeared and the other band members never knew what happened. Ultimately, the band broke up a couple of years later.

Anyway, Learned is told the real reason why he’s been met by a limo at the airport and he’s floored. The host (I can’t remember his name) asked why he left and Learned laughed, clearly uncomfortable. But he explained that he no longer felt that the band was where he was supposed to be because he had become a Christian. So he and his wife went back home to the midwest where they’ve been living a quiet, faith-filled life. His kids have no idea that he was an original member of Berlin.

“Will you sign on for a reunion with your bandmates and one concert?” he was asked. And he signed on - as did the entire original crew.

For me the music was secondary to watching these friends gather together again, some of whom had not been together for 20 years. It was clear that there was a deep caring between them all and I really enjoyed them enjoying the reunion. Turns out they still had it musically. The two songs they showed from their concert were just as I remembered: Metro and No More Words. Good fun to watch.