Ringo Starr's Timeless Message Of Peace And Love

All Starr Band's Mount Pleasant, Michigan Gig

Ringo's July 12, 2008 All Starr show at Mount Pleasant's Soaring Eagle Casino was so unexpectedly uplifting - just so much fun - the $75 per ticket spent for middle-range seating are already undeniably the best concert dollars I'll spend this year. Why?

Because my preoccupied midlife perspective frequently gets in my way of seeing the world properly anymore. The idea of "nostalgia" concerts conflicts me: technically, I'm the right demographic, but being reminded that the best-loved songs of my childhood and youth are now oldies can still be hard to take. Now I'm just sorry I waited so long to give in to the All Starr tours.

Here's the magic: Ringo is timeless. He just turned 68, but who could guess? He drummed and sang, danced and waved, flashed the peace sign until it he made it contagious He loves his fans and, as he stands there before you, you know it. Whether you're an oldie yourself, who loyally bought every Beatle or Ringo recording as it was released, or a 6-year-old scrambling on to your grandfather's shoulders to get a better view of the man who brought you Yellow Submarine, everyone is embraced. The diversity of the crowd Ringo attracted that night was as interesting to take in as the show itself.

And how can you not sing? As All Starr band member Colin Hay (Men at Work) asked, "If you can't sing on a Saturday night, then when can you?" I never sing, yet that night, I couldn't stop - and I realized I must've learned the lyrics to many of the songs before I was old enough to have any real problems in life, back when it was just me and my radio... or my beloved record player. Suddenly, I found myself in the presence of the musicians who kept me company during my dreamier - or sometimes more lonely - years. I was transported and unable to shake the strange sensation of being reunited with such good, old friends.