The seemingly ageless former Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr rolled the latest version of his All-Starr Band into a full house at Clearwater’s The BayCare Sound amphitheater, for an evening of nostalgia, familiar hits, and a few surprises.
At nearly 85, Mr. Starr is nothing if not a road warrior, typically making at least a stop per year in the Tampa Bay area. His All-Starr Band was formed in 1989 and has included a veritable who’s who cast of rotating characters from throughout the music industry.
The current band features longtime Ringo collaborator, studio legend and Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, renowned jazz drummer Gregg Bissonette, veteran multi-instrumentalist Warren Ham on percussion and saxophone, bassist Hamish Stuart, known for his tenure with Scottish funk act Average White Band, and keyboardist Buck Johnson, a veteran of metal acts like Aerosmith and Alice Cooper. Men at Work’s Colin Hay was also to participate but fell ill and could not make the show.
As a lifelong Beatles fan, if you’d have asked me as a child who would be the most prolific touring band member in their post-Beatles career, I certainly wouldn’t have guessed Ringo Starr. It’s remarkable that The Beatles only toured for a short time during their 8-year existence, with the last shows ending in August of 1966. Ringo has now toured for over 35 years with his All-Starr Band, and shows no signs of slowing down!
Known as “The Funny Beatle”, Ringo is certainly an entertainer at his core, and he knows how to put on a show, residing in Hollywood for many years and moving comfortably among their social elites. Even so, Starr’s personality is that of a sort of “every man”, and that’s the feeling you get from the crowd at his shows. Everyone knows what they’re going to get, and it’s almost a kind of musical comfort food, like going to a neighborhood diner that you’ve visited a thousand times and still enjoying it immensely.
Always quick with a quip in that cheeky British way, Ringo navigated his way through a 2 hours setlist of his famous songs, both from Beatles years and as a successful solo artist. While Starr never possessed the pipes of Lennon and McCartney, his voice sounds exactly as it did 60 years ago. He lives a healthy lifestyle and seems to draw energy from appreciative fans at his touring road show.
Ringo also allows the other artists to play their songs, which adds a flavor to the evening setlist. Guitarist Steve Lukather played the famous Toto hits “Rosanna”, and “Africa”, and in perhaps the biggest musical surprise of the evening, performed a rousing rendition of “Little Wing”, by Jimi Hendrix. By some counts, Lukather is described as the most prolific session musician in history, having played on the studio recordings of thousands of albums. His guitar technique is impressive, as he blistered through a searing rendition of the Hendrix song. Bassist Hamish Stuart got things funky with an inspired version of Average White Band’s “Pick Up The Pieces”, including tight drumming from Bissonnette and fine sax tones by Warren Ham.
Not to be outdone, just when you thought the evening would conclude in an enjoyable but mostly predictable fashion, Ringo rolled out a couple more all stars for a colossal surprise encore of “Little Help From My Friends”, featuring none other than Florida favorites John Travolta, and Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander!
Robin resides in Safety Harbor, Florida, and Travolta also has a residence in the area. Both have very fine singing voices and lent rich harmonies to the beloved Beatles anthem. Everyone in the house was wowed by the celebrity sighting and what indeed capped an even more memorable evening waterside in Clearwater.
Finishing with his famous peace sign salute and an unwavering dedication to a message of kindness, Ringo’s vision of togetherness reminded everyone in that moment that if we just lean on each other, we’ve always got just enough to get by with a little help from our friends, even through the most turbulent times.
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