Bella said that Wednesday, June 18th was the best daddy-daughter date of our lives so far. I couldn’t agree more. That evening, I took her to see Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band at the beautiful Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro, North Carolina. We were joined by a capacity crowd of 3,000 fans for a magical night with the legendary Beatles drummer and his equally iconic bandmates—each a star in their own right.
Colin Hay, frontman of Men at Work, was still in fine voice at 71. He performed his trio of ’80s hits: “Down Under,” “Overkill,” and “Who Can It Be Now?” Before launching into “Down Under,” the pop anthem of Australia, he shared a funny anecdote:
“I was performing in Australia and speaking in my normal Scottish accent,” he recalled. “The promoter told me I couldn’t speak like that onstage. So I learned to speak like an Australian.”
Steve Lukather, Toto’s lead guitarist, lit up the stage with “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna,” and the ever-beloved “Africa.” He reminisced about meeting fellow All-Star Bandmate Hamish Stuart (of Average White Band) in a coffee shop in Scotland as a young fan.
“Now, decades later,” Lukather said gratefully, “we’re brothers and bandmates in the Ringo Starr All-Star Band.”
Stuart delivered three of my favorite Average White Band tracks: the funky jazz instrumentals “Pick Up the Pieces” and “Cut the Cake,” and their soulful cover of the Isley Brothers’ “Work to Do.” Though understandably weathered at age 75, his passion and musicality were evident.
The entire evening proved a powerful truth: No one rocks like the legends.
The sold-out crowd—surprisingly full of fans aged 30 and under—was riveted for the entire 110-minute set. For the 67-year-old Lukather, vocal backup and high notes were handled skillfully by bandmate Warren Ham, who also stunned at least two electrifying saxophone solos that, quite literally, cleared sinuses. A multi-instrumentalist from Fort Worth, Texas, Ham played everything from percussion to harmonica, proving himself a true virtuoso at 72.
Drummer Gregg Bissonette delivered a jaw-dropping solo that incorporated iconic riffs from rock history—including The Beatles’ “The End,” The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar,” and The Surfaris’ “Wipeout.”
“That drum solo was insane,” said my usually unimpressed 11-year-old daughter.
Buck Johnson was equally remarkable on keys. A seasoned veteran who’s played with The Eagles, Alice Cooper, and Aerosmith, the Birmingham, Alabama native held his own among this band of rock royalty.
But of course, the center spotlight belonged to Sir Richard Starkey—Ringo Starr himself. He kicked things off at the front of the stage with his classic Carl Perkins cover “Honey Don’t”—a song my wife was sorry to miss—followed by his solo hit “It Don’t Come Easy.” Then he moved behind the drums to perform “Boys,” a cover of The Shirelles, before coming back up front to sing “I’m the Greatest.”
“This song was written by my friend John,” Ringo said, which earned a thunderous cheer. “He got it all put together, then said, ‘I can’t do this. Ringo, you better do it.’”
Bella cried during his rendition of “Yellow Submarine,” certain he had pointed at her during the song. “Octopus’s Garden” was another hit with the crowd, as was his #1 cover of Hoyt Axton’s “No No Song.”
“I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this song again,” Ringo shared. “But I thought about it and realized—it’s the reason I’m still on this stage.”
He dedicated The Beatles’ “I Wanna Be Your Man” to all the ladies in the audience, and later performed his solo classic “Photograph,” followed by his country-flavored cover of Johnny Russell’s “Act Naturally.” Speaking of country, Starr favorably performed the bluesy, title track from his latest album, Look Up, despite restarting after fumbling the encouraging lyrics.
As always, he closed the show with a medley of Beatles classics—“With a Little Help from My Friends” and “Give Peace a Chance.” Bella teared up again.
“This is probably the last time I’ll ever see Ringo,” she said quietly.
The legendary drummer, who turns 85 next month, ended the night doing jumping jacks after nearly two hours onstage. While we know no musician can perform forever, Ringo Starr shows no signs of slowing down. You never know—we just might get the chance to see him again.
Bella is one lucky kid. She’s seen Ringo Starr twice and Paul McCartney once. That’s a dream for music fans of any age—let alone an 11-year-old. There was at least one younger child in the audience. It’s amazing how Beatles music has transcended generations for over 60 years. There’s a reason they’re the most enduring band in history.
I also want to express my gratitude to the kind, professional, and accommodating staff at the Tanger Center. This is a stunning venue—no matter where you sit, the view and acoustics are outstanding. From my wheelchair-accessible seat, I had a perfect, unobstructed view, even when the crowd was standing—something I can’t say about every venue I’ve visited. With no one seated directly behind me, I could raise my chair as high as I needed to, and I didn’t miss a single moment.
It was a truly incredible night—and a treasured memory that my daughter and I will share for the rest of our lives.
