May 29, 2022

RINGO’S ALL STARRS ROCK CASINO RAMA WITH BEATLES HITS AND ROUSING EDGAR WINTER SOLOS

RAMA — It was Beatlemania, Ringo Rama and “peace and love” rock and rolled up into one.

Or as one departing fan said: “Four concerts rolled into one.”

That was Ringo Starr and the All Starrs, who wrapped up a two-night weekend gig as they got back to where they all once belonged before COVID.

A sold-out audience of almost 5,000 filled Casino Rama’s concert hall Friday and Saturday as the ex-Beatle hosted his fifth love-in and tour start in the First Nations gambling entertainment hall.

With a lot of help from his musical friends Colin Hay, Steve Lukather, Edgar Winter, Hamish Stewart, Warren Ham and Greg Bissonette Starr put on a two-hour show that had fans of the various bands they once played in standing, singing and swaying along with them for a two-hour-straight set that included two dozen of their hits.

By far the highlights were Starr singing Yellow Submarine and Octupus’s Garden with the help of the audience.

Starr opened singing three of the Beatles’ songs Matchbox, It Don’t Come Easy and What Goes On.

Singing and playing some of his favourite songs and hits, Ringo Starr

had the Casino Rama crowd in the palms of hands for a love in.

Then the Fab Four drummer got behind the kit off and off and on he and All Starrs pounded out hit after hit, including: Free Ride, Rosanna, Pick Up the Pieces, Down Under, Boys, I’m The Greatest, Cut the Cake, a rousing version of Frankenstein that featured Winter wailing on synthesizer, sax and a drum duel with Bissonette. Winters, who most impressed, also soloed on Johnny Be Good, a classic rock anthem and a song he called a tribute to his late brother Johnny Winters.

Other chart toppers the crowd responded and roared to were the Beatles’ Backoff Boogaloo, Overkill, Africa, Work to Do, I Wanna Be Your Man, Who Can It Be and Hold the Line.

They finished the night with the Beatles again and Photograph, Act Naturally and of course With A Little Help from My Friends that sent fans home happy and thrilled to have seen one of the last two Beatle in person.

Starr — with a new mop top look that more than rivalled his original shocking 20-year-old-over-the ears locks and recent sheared head — lovingly referred to his old band mates Paul McCartney and the late John Lennon and George Harrison.

That brought tears and cheers to everyone’ eyes.

The concert began a month-long tour that includes Massey Hall in September as part of a fall leg out west.