Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band played to a sold-out crowd at the Metropolitan Opera House in Philadelphia on August 14th. Starr, the drummer for one of the most famous and influential bands in music history is billing this tour as a 30th Anniversary tour. It was back in 1989 that Starr’s “supergroup” of musicians made its debut. Past members have included such music greats as Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Dr. John, Billy Preston and Jack Bruce. The lineup for this tour includes keyboardist Gregg Rolie of Santana/Journey, Steve Lukather of Toto, guitarist Colin Hay of Men at Work and the bass player from the Average White Band, Hamish Stuart. The band was rounded out with drummer Gregg Bissonette and instrumentalist Warren Ham.
Starr, looking unbelievably fit in a stylish red blazer, opened up the night with “Matchbox,” a Carl Perkins cover. He told the crowd that he dressed up a bit for them since the venue was so posh. They played close to two hours and included a few Beatles songs along with some of Starr’s biggest hits from his solo career. The All-Star Band’s set consisted of many classic/radio-friendly songs from Santana, Toto, The Average White Band, Men at Work and others. Two of the best guitar solos of the night came on Santana’s “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va.” The Men at Work tunes “Down Under” and “Who Can It Be Now” turned into sing-a-longs, with Colin Hay sounding especially strong on “Overkill.” Lead by guitarist Hamish Stuart, the Average White Band’s “Pick Up the Pieces” and “Cut the Cake” turned into extended jams that really impressed. The band played Toto’s “Rosanna” and “Hold the Line” but it was of course “Africa” that brought the crowd to its feet.
Photos and words by Cathy Poulton
