Richmond, VA – Doc must have fired up the flux capacitor because Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band delivered all the hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s worth hearing to a nearly sold out Virginia Credit Union Live crowd on September 20, 2022. It was as though I was taken back in time to an era where this country boy would wait until sunset to tune in to clear channel WLS 890 AM out of Chicago and catch names such as Larry Lujack (Uncle Lar) and Tommy Edwards (Little Tommy) in the morning or Dick Biondi at night as they played a mix of top 40 rock as well as classic tunes from yesteryear.
The journey started as the All-Starr Band took the stage to “Matchbox“, a Carl Perkins song, that had been covered by the Beatles in years past. The atmosphere was electric from the start!
All one has to do to understand the power of the show is to examine the makeup of the All-Starr Band. Of course, Ringo Starr represented The Beatles (the 60s), the 70s were represented by Edgar Winter (keys, percussion, sax, and more), and Hamish Stuart, from the Average White Band (bass, guitar), with the 80s represented by Colin Hay of Men at Work (guitar, harmonica), and Steve Lukather of Toto (guitar). Rounding out the band were Warren Ham (sax, winds, keys, etc) and Greg Bissonette (drums). From the very first note, the energy on stage and in the crowd was phenomenal. One would have thought they were witnessing heyday performances by this all starr lineup.
For the next 2 hours, they played a mix of the music that the band members had introduced to us over the years. No one was left out of the mix, as hits from each band represented were played.
Edgar Winter hits included “Free Ride” and “Frankenstein” (which, as we found out was what led Edgar to introduce the rock world to the first strap on keyboard (synth) ). It was fun to watch Edgar work as he was always tinkering instrumentally in one way or another. He also acted as the band’s DJ voice, bringing back memories of morning rock radio hosts. He also took part in a drum duel with Greg to the delight of the VACU crowd.
Hamish led some Average White Band tunes as well, including, “Pick Up the Pieces“, “Cut the Cake“, and “Work to Do” (an Isley Brothers cover). Hamish had a a great sense of humor, asking the audience before going into “Pick Up the Pieces“, “Who remembers 1975?” with a following loud roar… after which he asked, “What was it like?”, getting an even bigger roar with applause.
Steve kicked out some Toto tunes including “Rosanna” (Ringo showing he could still kill the skins as well), “Africa” and “Hold the Line“. I noticed the extremely close relationship between Steve and Ringo as Steve would often jam as Ringo was singing. The power of Toto’s “Africa” was obvious as the entire venue was on their feet throughout.
Colin told a story of how he has been asked many times if he would recommend writing songs to make a living. He then said, “Of course, “Down Under” took a few minutes to write and it has sustained me for 40 years!”. Everyone loved it!! Other Men at Work hits included “Overkill” and “Who Can it Be Now?”
Of course, Ringo had a huge part in the evening and his energy level was through the roof. Whether singing Beatles and Ringo songs, keeping up with Greg and the band on drums, or doing several minutes of jumping jacks on stage, he was kicking it. His message was very Beatlesque, peace and love baby, peace and love!!
One moment that got a laugh was when they started playing “Here Comes the Sun” only to be stopped by Ringo, who said, “No, we’re not doing that one”, immediately going into “Yellow Submarine“… we all stood and sang along!! A few other Beatles’ tunes included “Octopus’s Garden” (loved it!), and “I Wanna Be Your Man“. Some Ringo originals included “Back Off Boogaloo” and “Photograph“. At the start of the latter, the crowd worked their way to the stage… it would have made for a great photograph!!
In a heartwarming turn, Edgar Winter (and the rest of the All-Starrs) paid tribute to his brother, Johnny Winter with a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B Goode“. VACU live was rocking… this tribute really showed how tight the band was. It was very moving!!
The night concluded with a mix of “With a Little Help From My Friends” and “Give Peace a Chance“. WOW was the only word that came to mind when it was done. As I got back in to the car, I tried to dial my radio to a station from my past. Yes, it past sundown, but 890 AM was not in the cards. Of course, had I been able to tune in, I would not have heard hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I would have been inundated with the current WLS AM talk radio format. Thankfully I was able to take in the nostalgia from the source. It was a wonderful night and we all got by with a little help from all of our friends. Thank you Ringo and your All-Starr Band!
Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band Gallery
Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band Setlist
Matchbox
It Don’t Come Easy
What Goes On
Free Ride (with Edgar Winter)
Rosanna (with Steve Lukather)
Pick Up the Pieces (with Hamish Stuart)
Down Under (with Colin Hay)
Boys
I’m the Greatest
Yellow Submarine
Cut the Cake (with Hamish Stuart)
Frankenstein (with Edgar Winter)
Octopus’s Garden
Back Off Boogaloo
Overkill (with Colin Hay)
Africa (with Steve Lukather)
Work to Do (with Hamish Stuart)
I Wanna Be Your Man
Johnny B. Goode (with Edgar Winter)
Who Can It Be Now? (with Colin Hay)
Hold the Line (with Steve Lukather)
Photograph
Act Naturally
With a Little Help From My Friends
Show Date: September 20, 2022
