Concert Review: Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band at the Ordway

Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band at the Ordway in Saint Paul, September 23, 2018. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Last night Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band rocked the Ordway in Saint Paul. The current version of the All-Starr Band included Steve Lukather from Toto, Colin Hay from Men at Work, Gregg Rolie from Santana and Journey, Graham Gouldman from 10cc, as well as Gregg Bissonette on drums and the excellent Warren Ham on tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, harmonica, keyboard, and percussion. 

At 78 years old, Ringo still looks great, bouncing around the stage with tons of energy. He opened with the Carl Perkins song “Matchbox,” which the Beatles covered in 1964, and followed with probably his most famous solo song, “It Don’t Come Easy.” Ringo then sang the only Beatles song that bears a Lennon/McCartney/Starkey writing credit, “What Goes On,” from Rubber Soul. 

The only song Ringo sang that wasn’t from the 60’s or 70’s was “Anthem,” from the 2012 album Ringo 2012. I wouldn’t have minded a couple of more recent Ringo songs. Obviously the Beatles songs are why everybody’s there, but Ringo could do whatever he wants as long as he still gives us “Yellow Submarine” and “With a Little Help From My Friends.” 

I enjoyed all of the other band members’ songs—this version of the All-Starr Band has a pretty deep catalogue to choose from. I didn’t do any research on who was in this version of the All-Starrs before I went to the show, so I was pleasantly surprised each time someone was introduced. I didn’t recognize Colin Hay until he was introduced, and then I thought, “Men at Work, great! I’m going to hear ‘Land Down Under’!” And then I heard “Land Down Under” and happily sang along with one of my favorite lines in all of rock and roll, “He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.” Hay’s voice sounds great, and he can still hit all of the high notes. 

Gregg Rolie did an excellent job on keyboards, and I was quite impressed when I looked him up on Wikipedia and learned that he was a founding member of both Santana and Journey. Graham Gouldman did a great job on his songs from 10cc, which included the catchy “I’m Not in Love” and “The Things We Do For Love.” Steve Lukather is a superb guitarist, and his solos were full of flash, although I think sometimes he didn’t need to be quite so flashy. 

Throughout the evening it was evident how much fun Ringo was having, whether he was out in front or sitting behind the drums. It struck me last night, that’s Ringo’s personality. He’s never been about his own ego—I think that’s one reason why he was the perfect drummer for the Beatles. He wasn’t interested in playing flashy solos; he wanted to play what fit the song the best. He seems to be happy to be a sideman for his friends in the band. 

Another thought I had last night was that Ringo had to learn the drum part for these songs. Obviously he was probably familiar with all of the songs, but he must have practiced and rehearsed to get the drum part right. It’s just kind of funny to think of Ringo Starr learning someone else’s hit song in his late 70’s, but hey, it probably keeps him young. 

Last night was an enjoyable evening full of nostalgia. It would have been nice to hear a couple more songs from Ringo, like “Octopus’s Garden,” “Back Off Boogaloo,” and “The No No Song,” but you can’t complain too much when you get to see a Beatle in person. 

Setlist:

1. "Matchbox"
2. "It Don't Come Easy"
3. "What Goes On"
4. "Dreadlock Holiday" (Graham Gouldman)
5. "Evil Ways" (Gregg Rolie)
6. "Rosanna" (Steve Lukather with Warren Ham)
7. "Down Under" (Colin Hay)
8. "Boys"
9. "Don't Pass Me By"
10. "Yellow Submarine"
11. "I'm Not In Love" (Graham Gouldman w/o Ringo)
12. "Black Magic Woman"/"Gypsy Queen" (Gregg Rolie w/o Ringo)
13. "You're Sixteen"
14. "Anthem"
15. "Overkill" (Colin Hay)
16. "Africa" (Steve Lukather with Colin Hay)
17. "Oye Como Va" (Gregg Rolie)
18. "I Wanna Be Your Man"
19. "The Things We Do For Love" (Graham Gouldman)
20. "Who Can It Be Now?" (Colin Hay)
21. "Hold the Line" (Steve Lukather with Warren Ham)
22. "Photograph"
23. "Act Naturally"
24. "With a Little Help from My Friends" into "Give Peace a Chance"