After several canceled shows and a swift at-home recovery from Covid-19, Ringo Starr continued his 2022 tour in Seattle, WA, with a little help from his friends (that's right) followed by a night in Portland, OR. The All-Starr Band performed every big Ringo-sung tune as well as highlights from the careers of those involved. The friends in question were Colin Hay, Edgar Winter, Hamish Stuart, Steve Lukather, Warren Ham, and Gregg Bissonette. This was no flower-power retrospective bolstered by young touring artists. This affair was a clear celebration of veteran musicans, comically embracing maturity and fondly remembering the good old days, or at least trying to. Ringo, even at 82, had no trouble crooning, playing drums, or both simultaneously, all the while exuding his historical head-bobbing Beatle charm. In tandem with the set of golden oldies, his youthfulness made the show feel like it took place 30 years prior.
It was a time capsule of a concert, a kind of yellow, underwater capsule. In this temporal bubble, the spirit of 60s solidarity thrived through the hands of every audience member in the form of endless peace signs. The age-old attitude of nonviolent cooperation and affection toward one another was the only air to breathe. Before saying farewell, Ringo made sure no one would forget, "Peace and love is the way. Remember peace and love," sending his signature double peace gesture to the skies.
Unfortunately, a couple dates after his departure from Portland, Ringo came down with another contraction of COVID-19, forcing him to cancel the remainder of his North American tour. Fortunately, he has since returned again to good health.
