Ringo Starr

September 23, 2022

So two legends in one week? Yup! First it was Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) and then, no big deal, a BEATLE!! On September 23, 2022 I took my mom to see living legend Ringo Starr (and his All Starr Band) at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, CT. I figured it would be a good show, but I was wrong as it was a great show! Mom always told me Ringo was the coolest Beatle. Perhaps she was right.

                Ringo’s band for this tour consists of Steve Lukather (Toto), Colin Hay (Men at Work), Warren Ham (Kansas, Toto), Gregg Bissonette (drums), Hamish Stuart (Average White Band) and Edgar Winter (umm….Edgar Winter Band). All these dudes have been around forever with Ringo himself being 82 years old according to the interwebs. There was a lot of talent on that stage. These dudes could all play and can still really sing. Seeing Edgar strap on a keyboard, play piano, guitar, and sax was also pretty cool!

Throughout the night, Ringo would play frontman and sing familiar Beatles tunes, and then he’d get behind a second drum kit and let everyone else play their hits and more. Seeing him play drums was iconic. I mean…he’s Ringo Starr, the drummer for the Beatles. I actually didn’t expect much drumming out of him but he was behind the kit for probably more than 1/2 the show.

Ringo had jokes, he had stories about “some old friends” who wrote some of his known hits, and he joked about how cold it was. With it being an amphitheater, he joked that it was “bloody freezing” and that this was the first time he’d played a show in ski-wear (he was wearing a coat). He also joked about the gale force winds hitting him on stage.

We were treated to such hits as Don’t Come Easy, What Goes On, Free Ride, and Rosanna. With What Goes On, Ringo said it’s the only song written by John, Paul, and Ringo. When he suggested that the names in the credits be reversed so that Ringo goes first, they responded with “SOG OFF!!”

They played Toto’s Africa which was pretty awesome and it sounded amazing. They also did Edgar Winter’s Frankenstein and the Beatles Octopuses Garden and Ringo’s Back off Boogaloo.

                Now my mom grew up a Beatles fan, and like a good parent, still listened to them as I was growing up. While I am much too young to have experienced Beatlemania, I certainly know many many of their songs and understand how iconic and influential their music is. Hearing some of their songs, performed live, and sung by the Beatle who originally sang them, was pretty sweet. I may have to see McCartney when possible.

But back to the show! They also played I Wanna Be Your Man, Johnny B Goode, Who Can it Be Now, Land Down Under, and Hold the Line. Ringo took a break from the stage for a few of the song, but it was fine because they were playing the hits of the other dudes. They closed the night with A Little Help from My Friends/Give Peace a Chance.

It was really a cool show and they played just over 2 hours. It’s always great when a show beats expectations, and you also get some quality time with Mom.