This show was a couple of firsts for me. My first time seeing a Beatle perform live and my first time seeing Ringo Starr & his All-Starr Band. After witnessing one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life I have only one suggestion for the legendary drummer—change the name of the band to Ringo and his Band of Badass Musician Rock ‘n’ Roll Friends.
So, who are the badasses? How’s this for a stellar lineup? Todd Rundgren (Nazz, Utopia, The New Cars), Greg Bissonette (David Lee Roth, Steve Vai, Satriani, ELO), Mr. Mister bassist Richard Page, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, Santana/Journey keyboard player Gregg Rolie and of course the man who pulls it all together so beautifully, the 75 years young Ringo Starr.
Ringo took to the center of the stage welcoming the crowd while gracefully swinging across the floor singing “Matchbox,” “It Don’t Come Easy,” and a track from his latest album, “Island in the Sun.” Starr raved about how much fun he’s having with this set of All-Starrs and it became apparent very quickly how well they all gelled together, perfectly playing off one another’s energy as if they had jammed together for decades.
The positive vibes absolutely radiated from Starr as he flashed a double peace sign to the entire crowd. It was easy to tell that this man loves the stage, the music, the crowd, and is clearly still in the game because he’s still got a lot to share.
The capacity crowd at Boston’s Wang Theater was treated to a two-hour set, or shall I say all-star jam, that included classics from the ’70s and ’80s. Starr could have dominated the set but instead he graciously played along with the band as they tore through some real crowd pleasers. Three songs from Santana’s catalog including “Black Magic Woman,” “Gypsy Queen,” and “Oye Como Va” all sounded fantastic.
Another standout of the night was that I had almost forgotten how much of a bonafide f’n rockstar Todd Rundgren is. This guy can still do it all as he took over the stage for a couple of songs including his classic “Bang the Drum All Day.” On top of all that, this guy just absolutely shreds on stage and feeds off the crazy energy from the ungodly drumming power and preciseness of Greg Bissonette. It was quite a rock ‘n’ roll spectacle just to see these two guys riffing back and forth like the end of days were upon them.
But the real surprise of the show was when Toto’s guitarist Steve Lukather started into “Africa” and Mr. Mister’s Richard Page hit every note so perfectly. This guy has some pipes on him and it looks as if the recommendation from Richard Marx for this guy to join the all-stars was a brilliant decision. He absolutely killed it on “Rosanna” as well, and then broke it down for an original called “You Are Mind” that fit right into the mix. And what a treat it was to see Ringo laying down the grooves alongside these guys, adding his own subtle flare to each song.
Back to the Starr of the show, pun intended. Ringo dropped in “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Yellow Submarine,” “With a Little Help from My Friends,” and finished the evening with “Give Peace a Chance.”
What a spectacular night of music, with a stellar set of badass musicians. While it might have been my first time seeing this show, I certainly hope that it won’t be my last.
Bottom line: Ringo and his All-Starrs gave their all for a stellar two-hour set that played out like a lesson in rock ‘n’ roll history—delivered by the valedictorians as a tour de force.
Check out hi-res photos in the gallery here.
