Hors D’Oeuvres: A Little Help From Ringo

When the names Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr both appeared on the bill for the last night’s Change Begins Within benefit at Radio City Music Hall those who had plunked down money for the all-star bill – that included Ben Harper, MMJ’s Jim James, Eddie Vedder, Donovan and Sheryl Crow – were hoping that the former band mates would share the stage together for a tune or two. While the stellar night seemed to included a number of musical highlights, it wasn’t until almost the very end of the night during McCartney’s hit-laden set that that moment that everyone had anticipated finally happened when McCartney brought out Starr out by join him on vocals for With a Little Help From My Friends by introducing him as Billy Shears.

Starr remained on-stage moving to behind the drums for a take on Cosmically Conscious, a rarity written during The Beatles trip to India and the show closing all-star sing-along of I Saw Her Standing There.

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Finally a few weeks back we reported that original Woodstock promotor Michael Lang was looking to honor the 40th annivesary of the fest with a pair of free concerts in New York and Germany. The latest rumor to circulating around the one-day free concert finds it landing in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park’s Long Meadow. Lang who has been in talks with the city’s parks department, is also still looking to lockdown between $8 to 10 million in sponsorship funding, which he would need to do by month’s end to pull off the event – which he is hoping to attract original Woodstock acts along with contemporary bands that have embraced the fests vibe like Phish and Dave Matthews Band.