Ringo Starr is returning to make more ‘moments’ in Niagara Falls
Beatles drummer and his All Starr Band coming to OLG Stage
The last time Ringo Starr was in Niagara Falls, there was a man on a wire to compete with.
It’s June 2012, and the Beatles drummer is in town with his All Starr Band. It’s the third straight tour he has launched at Fallsview Casino’s Avalon Theatre. But on the second of two nights, he has a dilemma: At the same time he’s set to perform, famed tightrope walker Nik Wallenda is doing his nationally televised walk across the falls.
Two huge events going on at once. One had to give.
In the end, Starr relented and changed his start time from 9 p.m. to 7 p.m., enabling concertgoers to see both.
Starr reminisced about the eventful night during a Zoom conference call Wednesday with media from around the world, a week before he launches this year’s All Starr Band tour.
Starr returns to Niagara Falls Sept. 22 for the first time since the Wallenda night.
“It was great because he was doing it, like, outside our window,” recalls Starr. “But the fun part before it … we heard this guy was going to walk across the falls and he was going to be, like, tied on in case he fell.”
Against his wishes, Wallenda did the tightrope walk that night attached to a harness. It was mandated by ABC, which was televising the event.
“I could do that if we’re tied on! Anyone could do it! But when he was doing it, we were in my room — the whole band — and you saw him and you thought, ‘Oh, I couldn’t do that, even tied on, you know.’ Very brave. It was great. That’s one of the moments we’ve had there.”
The All Starr Band performed at Fallsview’s Avalon Theatre in 2008, 2010 and 2012. All three visits were huge media events, with Beatles fans ecstatic to see Starr in an intimate, 1,500-seat venue.
He returns in September to play the 5,000-seat OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino for the first time. Among other things, Starr said he’s looking forward to the view again from his Niagara Falls hotel room.
“It’s incredible and you can hear (the falls) all the time,” he said. “Water is very big with me. You look at an ocean and it puts you in your place.”
Starr originated his All Starr Band in 1989, inviting members and singers of other successful bands to join him for a show packed with hits. In Niagara Falls, Starr has performed with Billy Squier, Colin Hay from Men at Work, Edgar Winter, Todd Rundgren and several others.
The 2024 lineup brings back Hay and Winter along with Steve Lukather of Toto, Hamish Stuart of Average White Band, sax player Warren Ham and co-drummer Gregg Bissonnette.
Starr recalls inviting so many people for the first tour, it was like a “phone book.”
“And everyone kept saying yes,” he said. “So, I got to close the phone book, otherwise we’d have been an orchestra.”
No matter who he plays with, Starr has one expectation:
“It’s sort of every tour, you know … I’m gonna do my best for you and I hope you will do your best for me. (We’ll) do our best for him and we’ll all try and figure it out.’
“That’s what it’s all about. So, it’s a great day out, because you hear a lot of songs you really love.”
Starr will also have some new music for the tour. Last month saw the release of the EP “Crooked Boy,” with all four songs written and produced by ace songwriter Linda Perry.
He had one request for her. “There’s only one thing I demand … if you’re writing me a song, it can be a downer but it’s got to have some ‘up’ at the last verse, or in the middle, or wherever.
“The world’s gone mad and the grass won’t grow, but oh … there’s a flower in the corner. Whatta you know?”
Ringo Starr and the All Starr Band plays the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino Sept. 22. For tickets go to www.ticketmaster.ca.