IN MY LIFE. AS RINGO! Part 2
By Mike Streeto

In Part One of this series, I mentioned a showcase engagement I played with “Fab Forever” at the Gulf Stream Casino in Fort Lauderdale. Well, I’d like to begin Part Two of this series by reiterating what a great time I had at this show. It was a special experience because it was my first time back out playing as Ringo, because the crowd at this venue was so electric, and because of the involvement with Joe Johnson, Rob and Donnie G of BeatleBrunch.

In the photo of “Fab Forever,” I am the second from the left and we’re flanking Joe Johnson in the center. What’s interesting is that I am wearing the same Beatles suit that my predecessor had worn with this band. That drummer was Greg George, for years a staple behind the kit with “1964 The Tribute.” Greg is undisputedly one of the best looking Ringos in the world. I’m not saying he’s good looking (LOL), I’m saying he looks closest to Ringo. Sometimes when it comes to a drummer in a tribute band, the look is secondary to the playing (and often even the singing), because if you have strong front-men portraying Paul and John (and even better, George too), the Ringo is far enough in the background that you could get away with someone who’s a competent musician and can sing “Yellow Submarine” in key. To have the look, the vocals, and also to be a fine drummer is rare. Greg George now plays with “Liverpool Legends,” opening an engagement in Branson, MO.

After our triumphant concerts at Gulf Stream, “Fab Forever” boarded planes to do a show not only close to my heart, but close to my home. I couldn’t call my friends and relatives quick enough to let them know that I was going to be playing an outdoor show with “Fab Forever” on the North Haven Green (in North Haven, CT) for their annual outdoors Summer Concert Series. I reside one town over in New Haven, so this is the type of homecoming a musician yearns for. Along with Todd Reiney on bass, Glenn McCullum on lead and Gary Gibson on rhythm, we were ready to rock my backyard!

Upon landing at the airport in Connecticut, there was a bit of A Hard Day’s Night-esque pandemonium, as I had to race home, pack up my drums, deliver them to the Green, and start the sound check. When you’re in a great band, and there are friendships forming, playing together is a pleasure. That was the case with me and Todd & Glenn, so this was the type of gig I had dreamed about. Unlike other shows and other band environments, having friends on stage with you is always preferable to just a business arrangement. So whereas I should have been exhausted from the plane trip and the break-neck speed of retrieving the drums and getting them to the Green and setting up, I was running on pure adrenaline.

While setting up for the sound check on the Green, we met an East-Coast based Lennon impersonator named Tom Raider, who plays John as a solo artist and also in groups. His show is called “Imagining Lennon,” and I learned that he was there to loan some of his guitars and support to the evening. Tom has also done shows with “Yesterday: a Tribute to The Beatles,” among others. It’s always cool when players show up to see other bands and performers.

Along with Tom, there were about two thousand other fans on the North Haven Green for the show. Many were friends from the area I hadn’t seen in years, and most were very surprised to see me playing a Beatle. When the show was over, it was obvious that the crowd wanted more, and Tom jumped on stage to help whip them into a frenzy and get us back for an encore. Gary Gibson called out some songs which he excelled in, but may not have been the best choices. We rocked with “Johnny B Goode,” swayed with “Stand By Me” and ended with “Rock and Roll Music.” Why we didn’t encore with three Beatles songs I’ll never know. We rehearsed and knew “And Your Bird Can Sing” and so many others; it would have made much more sense to give the fans more favorite Beatle classics or some others that may have caught them by surprise.

Aside from that, the night was incredible. There was an informal meet & greet after the show, and it was a wonderful homecoming. Usually, the Ringo gets the least attention, but on this one evening, I was honored to be in the limellight. My close friend Myles filmed the show and I used excerpts for my cable-access entertainment TV series “On Location with Mike Streeto.” It was shown throughout the state for about a month after the concert, so the event lived on a lot longer than most one-nighters.

We had conquered Florida and Connecticut, and next up was Las Vegas.

More next time…

Peace & Love,
Mike “Ringo” Streeto