Ringo Headlines PBS’ Artists Den Season 2 Opener

For his 70th birthday last week, Ringo Starr bestowed a spiritual, healing gift upon the world. At as special ceremony in New York City’s famed Times Square the ageless, jubilant Beatle requested that we all say, write, e-mail, tweet or think the words peace and love every day at noon. That simple, hopeful, healing gesture symbolizes Ringo’s philosophy, his life’s work and may hint at his eternal youthful glow.

This past weekend PBS launched the second season of its acclaimed musical performance series, “Live From The Artists Den,” with a special concert featuring Ringo and folk-blues master Ben Harper captured live last January at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. At 70, the drummer turned front man, still has it. He sings a couple of classics: the Beatles’ “I Wanna be Your Man” and his solo hit “Photograph,” along with a pair of new tunes. In between, Harper, along with his current back-up band The Relentless 7 and special guest Joan Osborne play a few dreamy, heart-wrenching songs, highlighting Harper’s haunting voice and unique hybrid sound. The show also features brief interview segments with Harper offering reverence to one of his idols and Ringo dispelling his larger-than-life Beatle mystique, giving Harper permission to ” change up” the classic tracks, “pushing the songs on.”

The concert wraps with a rousing performance of Ringo’s signature song, “With A Little help From My Friends.” You only get a sampling here courtesy of a rehearsal sound check, but check your local PBS listings for future air dates.

The synergy of space and performance, artist and audience made “Live From The Artists Den” an instant classic when it premiered last year, a must see for music lovers yearning for richly textured performances from an array of renowned musicians, all set in rooms as intriguing as they are unique. Each installment features an invitation-only concert performed at an unconventional venue, interspersed with interview segments, with artists discussing both craft and their unusual performance spaces. Tori Amos, performing at the Veteran’s Room at the New York’s magnificent Park Avenue Armory debuts this week. “When you’re in a room that doesn’t have a lot of personality, it’s sort of like a bad date, ” Amos said. “but when you’re in a magical place like this, then things start aligning and you could be falling in love. When you play a space where you’re aware of the artists who came before you, it’s incredibly moving to be part of that lineage.”

An impressive roster of contemporary musical luminaries round-out the second season including: David Gray at The Broad Street Ballroom in NYC’s Wall Street neighborhood; Corinne Bailey Rae at the Hiro Ballroom in lower Manhattan; The Black Crowes at the legendary Lyric Theatre in Oxford, Mississippi; country star Dierks Bentley at Chicago’s Ravenswood Billboard Factory; and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of famer Booker T. along with the buoyant Drive By Truckers and special guest Bettye LaVette at the gloriously restored Ogden Museum of Southerrn Art in New Orleans.

In case you missed it, music from the inaugural season, which featured an equally laudable line-up is available as a sampler CD “Live from The Artists Den” featuring performances from Patty Griffin, Jakob Dylan, K.T. Tunstall, The Hold Steady and others. Complete performance CDs from Griffin and The Swell Season are also available.

Check out The Artists Den website for details and air-dates and times.

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