This weekend, during his concert at Dodger Stadium, Paul McCartney brought out a guest for a performance the venue hadn't seen in half a century.
“We’ve got a surprise for us, a surprise for you, a surprise for everyone: Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only, Ringo Starr,” McCartney said Saturday night, introducing his former Beatles bandmate.
The last time two Beatles shared the stage at Dodger Stadium in LA was 28 August, 1966. It was the Beatles' penultimate live concert ever, the night before the legendary band's final show at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. (Actually, before the band's 1966 Dodger Stadium show, the band held a press conference, during which they were once again facing criticism for John Lennon saying the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus.")
On Saturday night, Ringo walked on stage to the sold out crowd where McCartney kissed him on the head and said "I love you, man," before Starr took his place behind the drums. From there, the two played "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" and "Helter Skelter" from The White Album.
And the old guys still have it, ripping through both tracks as if it hadn't been 53 years. Just seeing these two music icons perform together feels like living history—a legendary moment unfolding right there on stage.
After they performed the songs, Starr thanked the crowd and left the audience with his signature "peace and love."
During the show, McCartney also brought out the Eagles' Joe Walsh to help him out with the guitar solos on "The End."
Matt Miller is a Brooklyn-based culture/lifestyle writer and music critic whose work has appeared in Esquire, Forbes, The Denver Post, and documentaries.
