All You Need Is Ringo

I've been a Beatle fan since I was 13 and my mother took me to see Beatlemania ("Not the Beatles, But an Incredible Simulation!").

The very next day I raided my brother's record collection for the two Beatles albums he owned.

I was instantly hooked.

Ever since then I've been a bit of a fanatic about the Fab Four, hanging posters on my wall, reading every book about them, attending Beatles conventions (in my younger years), and obsessing over the details of the band that changed popular culture forever.

So, imagine my delight when I learned that Ringo Starr was heading to Spokane for one of his All-Starr concerts. It would be the first trip by a Beatle to the area. I couldn't miss this opportunity to see a legend perform.

And I certainly wasn't going to miss out on taking my kids, who have become Beatles fans themselves after repeated viewings of A Hard Day's Night and Yellow Submarine.

Imagine my disappointment to learn that Ringo's Spokane concert was at a casino that did not allow children in the theater.

Hmmmm... What to do? Dress them up in grown-up clothing and pass them off as Little People?

Thankfully, I found a better solution. The very next night, Ringo was performing in Woodinville, Washington, just outside of Seattle.

It would involve the extra cost of gas and a hotel room, but that was a small sacrifice to make for a Beatle.

The Saturday concert was incredible. It was at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, on a sloping lawn under clear skies. A perfect place to take the family for a concert of any kind. The weather was near perfect, and the lush grounds of the winery had us all in a relaxed state as we filed into the amphitheater.

When Ringo hit the stage, the crowd of over 4,000 was electrified. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Even my kids sensed the excitement and went wide-eyed at the sight of him. There he was, just thirty feet away, big as life, breathing the same air as us.


Ringo Starr, with Billy Squier and Gregg Bissonette, at Chateau Ste. Michelle, in Woodinville, Washington

Even if you're not a big Beatles fan, there's something about a legend like Ringo Starr that is magical. The man was part of the greatest band ever. His solo career has spanned music, TV, movies, art, and more.

Heck, he was Mr. Conductor on Thomas the Tank Engine!

Ringo rocked right from the start with "It Don't Come Easy," "What Goes On," and "Memphis In Your Mind," then let his All-Starrs take a turn with their big hits.

Billy Squier blazed through "Lonely Is The Night" and "The Stroke," Edgar Winter had fists pumping with "Free Ride" and "Frankenstein," and Colin Hay brought a nostalgic teenage smile to my face with "Down Under" and "Who Can It Be Now."

I was genuinely surprised at how good these retro rockers sounded. Billy Squier, who I saw open for Queen in 1982 and hadn't heard anything from since, was a madman on the guitar, giving everybody's songs a modern bluesy touch. Hamish Stuart, on bass, bounced around the stage like a teenager. Edgar Winter impressed me the most, doing double duty on both keyboards and saxaphone.

All I can say is, old guys rock!

But it was Ringo who was the star of the show, with solo songs like "Photograph," "Choose Love," "Oh My My," and "Liverpool 8," and Beatles classics like "With A Little Help From My Friends," "Boys," and "Act Naturally."

The best moment of the entire night, for me and my kids, was an obvious one. The crowd was launched to their feet as Ringo sang the familiar words to a song that has been a part of my life since I was a toddler.

"In the town, where I was born, lived a man, who sailed to sea..."

For the next three minutes I was out of my body, singing "Yellow Submarine" at the top of my voice as Ringo conducted me and 4,000 other delirious people.

It's the only time my son hasn't tried to stop me from singing in public.

It was the best first rock concert I could imagine for my kids. The night was over two hours of peace and love, as Ringo likes to say, and the crowd reflected it.

If you ask my daughter what her favorite part of the concert was, she'd probably say, "When you bought me a Ben & Jerry's ice cream." But then her second favorite part would be when Ringo sang "With A Little Help From My Friends" and she knew most of the words.

I'm just thrilled that when my kids are older, they'll be able to say, "I saw a Beatle in concert!"

Actually, come to think of it, the 68-year-old Ringo looked so young and healthy, I wouldn't be surprised if my kids get to take their kids to a Ringo Starr concert in twenty years!