RINGO AND HIS ALL STAR BAND WILL PERFORM AT THE PALACE THEATRE IN ALBANY

Ringo & his All-Star Band will perform at 8 pm Tuesday at the Palace Theatre,Albany 

The first of the two living Beatles will play this Tuesday at the Palace Theatre in Albany with his All-Star Band. Paul will be at the Times Union Center on July 5.

Steve Lukather recalls earlier this year finding himself standing just offstage, about to play one of the most memorable shows of a 40-year music career. He was one of the guitarists in the band that was backing McCartney and Starr for “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles” television special that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the group.

For a musician who was inspired to pick up the guitar by the Fab Four, the moment was not lost on Lukather, a founding member of the group Toto.

“I was standing there looking at Paul, looking at Ringo, and all of a sudden they start to show a clip of ‘Hard Day’s Night’ and it hit me really hard,” Lukather said. “I got all emotional. That’s the reason I started playing.

“Here I am, 50 years later, getting ready to walk on stage with these guys. They asked me to be here. I mean, (what are) the odds of some little (punk) kid from North Hollywood (ending) up standing with the greatest rock and roll band of all time, in my mind?

“I mean, who’s better than the Beatles?” he continued. “You can’t even say it without laughing. In many ways, I wish there would be somebody to shake it up that big. We need it. I mean, music has started to become like a generic ‘McMusic.’ You hear it on the radio and you can’t tell one rock band from the next because everybody’s got the same plug in.

“They used to say Toto was slick. For God’s sake, we’re the (expletive) Sex Pistols compared to what you hear on the radio now. We actually sat in a room and played like that. Now they buff it out so hard you can’t sit down on the chair. You’d fly right off.”

For the past three years, Lukather has been a member of the latest edition of Ringo’s All Starr Band, which has toured frequently since 1989.The relationship with Starr, though, has grown beyond business and music.

“Ringo and I have become really good friends,” Lukather said. “He’s one of the coolest guys I’ve ever known in my whole life, and it’s not just because he’s a Beatle. I’ve gotten to know the guy, the man, how he thinks and his view of the world.

“When they called (for the 2012 tour), I said, ‘You know what, I’ve got to do this. This isn’t about money. This isn’t about anything like this. I’ve got to do this,’” Lukather said. “And this was during a period of flux (for Toto). We weren’t sure what was going on. We had management changes and there were some issues going on and we had to deal with some stuff, lawsuits and crap. I said, ‘You know, I’m going to take this summer, I’m going to go out with Ringo.’ I turned down Joni Mitchell once. I turned down Miles Davis. I turned down Elton John, and I said this is what I’ve got to do. And I did, and it’s created a friendship (with Starr) that’s become very, very important in my life. I get texts from him, ‘This is to my last best friend.’ ”

They just hit it off, he said.

“It’s a really fun little band,” Lukather said. “When people read it, they go wow, is this ever going to work? But actually it’s a very cohesive unit. We all love each other and get along great.” 

Ringo Starr and his All-Star Band

8 p.m. Tuesday

The Palace Theatre, 19 Clinton St., Albany

Tickets: $62 to $152; 800-745-30000