RINGO & ALL STARR BAND AT DCU CENTER, WORCESTER, MA

Ringo & his All Starr Band DCU Center, Worcester, MA 11 June, 2016

€“Ringo has nothing left to prove, which is probably the reason his performance at the DCU Center on Saturday night was so joyous.With The Beatles,has left a mark on popular music that will never be matched. As a solo artist, he has recorded 18 studio albums and charted 11 Top 40 singles.

So when Ringo took the stage at the DCU Center and launched into a spirited take of Carl Perkin's "€œMatchbox," it was not the act of someone who is performing for the money or adulation. At age 75, Starr simply loves playing music.

The All-Starr Band format – members take turns performing hits they either sang or played on – allows Ringo to alternate between genial frontman and rock solid drummer. In either role, Starr seems to be having a ball."Thank you Worcester-shire," Starr told the DCU Center crowd, later adding that band members had debated the pronunciation of the city on the ride to the show.

Following "Matchbox," Ringo sang his first solo hit "It Don't Come Easy" and then "What Goes On," a country-tinged track in which he shared his first-ever songwriting credit with John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

"The title of the song says written by Lennon, McCartney and Starkey, but that's backward," he joked. "It should have been Starkey, Lennon and McCartney." He quickly made his way to his drum kit where he anchored various All-Starrs as they played their own individual hits.

Todd Rundgren, who can trace his All-Starr roots back to a 1992 summer tour with the former Beatle, did not disappoint with "I Saw the Light" and "Bang on the Drum All Day."

Much to the audience's delight, Toto's Steve Lukather delivered the FM radio favorites "Rosanna," and "Africa," while Mr. Mister bassist Richard Page turned back the clock to 1985 with performances of the No. 1 hits, "Broken Wings" and "Kyrie."

Gregg Rolie, a founding member of Santana, did a wonderful job on "Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen" and "Oye Como Va," but it was All-Starr version of "€œEvil Ways" that showed off the full abilities of the band. Rolie'€™s wild organ work was matched by a blistering guitar solo from Lukather and anchored by Starr's solid drumming for a truly memorable performance.

Kudos to drummer Greg Bissonette (ELO, David Lee Roth Band) and saxophonist Warren Ham (Kansas, Toto), who rounded out the sound of the 12th edition of the All-Starr Band.

While it is pleasure to watch Starr provide the beat for his famous pals, the audience reveled in the moments when he was at the mic.

Starr sang Beatles songs ranging from deep cuts ("Don'€™t Pass Me By"€) to Baby Boomer favorites ("€œYellow Submarine"€).

Throughout the night, Starr was in fine voice and his band tight, save for versions of  "I'm the Greatest" and "I Wanna Be Your Man" that were far too loose.

The energetic Starr closed his two-hour show with his signature tune, "With a Little Help From My Friends" before returning to the stage for a brief take on Lennon's anti-war anthem "Give Peace a Chance."

Setlist:
Matchbox
It Don't Come Easy
What Goes On
I Saw the Light 

Evil Ways
Rosanna
Kyrie 

Bang the Drum All Day 

Boys
Don't Pass Me By
Yellow Submarine
Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen 

You're Sixteen 

I'm the Greatest
You Are Mine 

Africa

Oye como va
I Wanna Be Your Man
Love Is the Answer
Broken Wings 

Hold the Line
Photograph
Act Naturally
With a Little Help From My Friends
Give Peace a Chance