Ringo Starr has been one of the biggest names in drumming world-wide for over 60 years. For the last 37 years Ringo has been touring with his All-Starr band, which has had some big alumni such as The Band’s Levon Helm and Rick Danko, The Eagle’s Joe Walsh, The E-Street Band’s Nils Lofgren and Clarence Clemons, Billy Preston, Dr. John, and drumming icon Jim Keltner.

To be a member, Ringo's requirement is at least three hits from their own band or as a solo act. The All Starr band returned to the Greek Theater in Los Angeles for the first time since 2024, as they played Yaamava Casino last year for the L.A. area show. Generally, the Greek shows are every other year but there have also been back-to-back years. This short West Coast run began May 28th at Pechanga Casino in Temecula, CA and concluded at the Greek on June 14.

The 16th incarnation of the All Starr band has included Toto’s Steve Lukather since 2012 (guitar/vocals), former David Lee Roth and ELO drummer Gregg Bissonette since 2008, Colin Hay of Men At Work on guitar and vocals (member in '03, '08 and since '18), Average White band bassist/vocalist Hamish Stuart (2006-08 and since '19), vocalist Warren Ham also a touring member of Toto (All Starr member since 2014). On keyboards is Buck Johnson from Aerosmith and the Hollywood Vampires, who originally was filling in for Edgar Winter starting in 2024. Lukather, Stuart, and Hay all played three songs from their bands.

The show began with Ringo on vocals for the first two songs starting with Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox” followed by solo hit “It Don’t Come Easy.” Starr stepped behind the drums for song three, which was Toto’s “Rosanna” led by Lukather. Starr double-drummed with Bissonette. Next Stuart was featured on Average White Band’s “Pick Up the Pieces.” Then it was Hay’s turn performing Men At Work’s “Down Under.” When the All Starr band members were featured, they would play three songs in a row (one each). Lukather plays bass on Average White Band’s “Cut the Cake” and a cover of the Isley Brother’s “Work to Do,” and Stuart plays guitar on those.

Each night during Average White Band’s “Cut the Cake,” the band minus Lukather, Bissonette and Johnson leave the stage and as a duo play bits of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” The Beatles “Come Together,” The Safaris “Wipe Out,” Rush’s "YYZ,” Led Zeppelin’s “Rock N’ Roll,” Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4,” Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Manic Depression," The Rolling Stone’s “Honky Tonk Woman,” Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song,” The Beatles “The End,” and finally Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher.” Last year Starr began performing “The No No Song” for the first time in many years. During Toto’s Africa, Lukather mentioned his fellow band co-founder David Paich being in the audience.

The closing songs were Starr’s “Photograph,” The Beatles’ cover of Johnny Russel’s “Act Naturally,”  and as always “Help From My Friends” with John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance.” At each show, there’s quite a bit of humor and before “Yellow Submarine,” Lukather and Ringo joked around, with Lukather playing the opening riff to The Beatles’ “Daytripper” and “Please Please Me.”

For the finale, Ringo always brings up a few friends including returning guests Jim Keltner and former Guns N’ Roses Velvet Revolver Drummer Matt Sorum, and Toto’s David Paich as well as Jackson Browne, Heartbreaker’s members Mike Campbell, and Benmont Tench and Allman Betts drummer Alex Orbison.

Ringo’s 86th birthday will be in just three weeks, on July 7.

Setlist:

Matchbox- Carl Perkins

It Don’t Come Easy

Rosanna- Toto

Pick Up The Pieces- Average White Band

Down Under- Men At Work

Boys- Shirelles (The Beatles Version)

I’m The Greatest- John Lennon

Yellow Submarine- The Beatles

Cut the Cake- Average White Band (Without Ringo)

Frankenstein-Edgar Winter Group (Without Ringo)

Octopus’s Garden-The Beatles

No No Song- Hoyt Axton

Overkill- Men At Work

Africa- Toto

Work To Do- Isley Brothers (Average White Band Version)

I Wanna Be Your Man- Beatles

Johnny B. Goode- Chuck Berry (Edgar Winter dedicated to his brother Johnny)

Who Can It Be Now?- Men At Work

Hold the Line- Toto

Photograph- Ringo Starr

Act Naturally- Buck Owens (Beatles Version)

With a Little Help From My Friends/ Give Peace A Chance- Beatles/John Lennon

The post Ringo Starr Twinkles With Friends at the Greek first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.