We are honored to have great friends and artists showing up for this and performing a song or 2, or 3 ahead of NICKEL & DIME’s set (which we hope to start around 10PM that night.

In no particular order:

SHEBOOM (Eight post -menopausal women playing drums and rapping)

FRANC GRAHAM (The Franc Graham Band)

DAVE CHAMPAGNE (Treat Her Right)

WILLIE ‘LOCO’ ALEXANDER (The Boom Boom Band)

MATT YORK (songwriter, author - The Highwaymen)

JANE MANGINI (Berlin Airlift, Rick Berlin The Movie, Rome Is Burning, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, jingle writer, keys on 7 Nickel & Dime records, The Cha Cha Club)

MIKE MANGINI (Rome Is Burning, Rick Berlin The Movie, Dream Theater…)

DARREN RAY (guitar)

LAURIE SARGENT (Face To Face, Orchestra Morphine, The Billy Conway Artist Fund)

DANA COLLEY (Morphine)

BRIAN CHARLES (w / his brother Dave and possibly…)

ANNIE HOFFMAN (Engineer at Rare Signals, bassist with Weakened Friends)

ADAM SHERMAN (Private Lightening, The Souls, The Nervous Eaters, and The Adam Sherman Band)

ROBIN LANE (The Chartbusters)

RYAN H. WALSH (Hallelujah The Hills, author - Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968)

ELIZA JONES (Buried Beds, War On Drugs)

BRANDON BEAVER (Buried Beds, Me Without You, lately the producer for Jason Kelce - former Eagle + Travis’s brother - audio/web)

JEFF CHASSE (songwriter)

BRIAN KING (What Time Is It Mr. Fox?)

THALIA ZEDEK (newest band - E)

SAM DUDLEY (Rick’s nephew and Nickel & Dime Band trombone for 11 years, trombone w/ Pinto and the developing musical, 1957, by Chad Urmston)

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Closing the night: The Nickel & Dime Band -

Savannah Marshall (kit, percussion, back up vox) - Matt Bailin (guitar, sax, backup vox) - Ricky McLean (guitar, backup vox, lead vocal - WALKIN’ MY DOG) - David Goodchild (bass) - Jane Mangini (all keys) - Rick Berlin (lead vocals, songwriter)

who will perform WTF!? in full with these tremendous additional players:

The Four Quarters: Jay Souweine (trumpet) - Jack Panora (tuba) - Matt Bailin (sax, horn arrangements) - Andy Collins (trombone) - Lucas Paquette (sax)

Back up vocals:

Ben Knight, Steve McNulty and Brian King

BNN Jamaica Plain is going to 3-camera video the night for posterity and will post the link after 4/19

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THE IDEA (as introduced by Paul Buckley - LUNCH RECORDS):

There are not many people who say they love making and playing music more than Rick Berlin. Sure you may like playing music in your teens and 20s - but something special has to be there once you’re still playing in your 30s, 40s and (gulp) 50’s!

Well, I got news for you. Rick’s got you beat. Berlin has been playing music for 50+ years!

Born in the Silent Generation – Rick has been far from it Starting with the 70’s art/punk scene with Orchestra Luna and Luna, to his 80s rock bands Berlin Airlift and Rick Berlin: THE MOVIE,  on to 90’s projects Rome is Burning and The Shelly Winters Project and along long-standing residency playing solo cabaret at Jacques, to ultimately creating his longest musical venture with The Nickel & Dime Band (14 years).

He has tirelessly written songs, assembled musicians, formed bands, ran recordings sessions, booked shows, promoted events, lugged amps and poured his heart out on stage every night. He’s been the captain, the creator, the confidant and the cheerleader in all of his endeavors.

So what’s up with Rick today? 

Glad you asked. Mr. Berlin is turning 80 years old in 2025 - and shows no signs of slowing down. The Nickel & Dime Band will be releasing their best work to date - recorded at Rare Signals with Brian Charles (producer/engineer - alongside Annie Hoffman).

So we’re going to soak up some of his music longevity vibes and on his actual birthday - April 19th, 2025 - and celebrate the band’s new album, WTF!? (which I’m releasing on Lunch Records). 

A night of guest performers representing various moments/decades throughout his career – either through song, story, or presence at the show.

BERLIN@80 (A Rock n Roll Romance)

Rick Berlin’s 80th Birthday Bonanza

The Nickel & Dime Band CD Release of WTF!?

plus special guests (see above)

Brighton Music Hall

Sat, April 19, 2025

Will you come celebrate Berlin’s 80th with us?

- Paul Buckley - Lunch Records

“My feeling is that Rick is the definition of a true artist-- someone who lives and breathes for what he creates and puts everything he's learned and felt into his songwriting. The sheer range of styles he's worked in and personalized attests to everything good about the Boston scene.” - Brett Milano