Ringo Starr spread peace and love when he brought his 13th All Starr Band tour to Chicago for a night of good old fashioned rock n roll and nostalgia.
When Ringo Starr comes to town, he doesn’t bring just any band with him, he brings his All Starr Band. The 2018 lineup comprises of Steve Lukather (Toto and prolific session musician), Colin Hay (Men At Work), Greg Rolie (Santana, Journey), Graham Gouldman (10cc), Gregg Bissonette (session and touring musician), and Warren Ham (Toto, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons).
Ringo was the host for the evening, starting proceedings off by taking the reigns at the mic for Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox”. Throughout the night, Ringo alternated between being up front on the microphone and taking to his natural environment behind the drums, where it has to be said he looked more at home.
It goes without saying that there were Beatles songs performed throughout the set, but this show equally shared the spotlight across each member of the band as they performed some of the biggest hits from each of their respective bands. The Chicago Theatre was transported back in time as they heard the All Starr band perform the likes of “Yellow Submarine,” Toto’s “Africa” and 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love.” It was great to see the band come together to perform each other’s songs.
With a lineup made up of such big-hitters as these, it’s difficult to single anyone out. However, special mention does have to go to Steve Lukather who made all of his intricate guitar riffs appear effortless, particularly during the likes of Santana’s “Black Magic Woman.” It is clear to see why he is one of the most revered and in demand hired guns out there today.
Starr joked that he wrote many songs during his time with The Beatles… it was just that none of them were recorded. However, he did sing “What Goes On,” the one song that was written by Lennon, McCartney, and Starkey (even if the names were not in the order he would have preferred).
Performing the hits of all of these great bands in one set, it’s no wonder the audience were on their feet, singing and dancing throughout. Their performances of 10cc’s “Dreadlock Holiday” and Men At Work’s “Down Under” were definite winners on that front, however “Yellow Submarine” and “With A Little Help From My Friends” were certainly the forerunners for the loudest singing.
These guys are used to performing together on these tours, and you can tell the way their styles mesh together. There was something mesmerizing about watching Ringo and Gregg Bissonette drum in perfect time with each other, while also joking with each other and looking like they were having fun. They weren’t the only ones who were having fun as the smiles and laughter of the band were reciprocated by the sold-out Chicago Theatre crowd. Some lucky fans had their night made when their shouts of “I love you Ringo!” were returned with “I love you too!”
When any one of these musicians come to town, you’d be daft to miss them. Put all seven of these together and it’s no wonder the show sold out. There’s just a handful of dates left on the tour, so go check them out if they come to your town.
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