Ringo , sparkled on a downtown Wilkes-Barre stage last night.
Ringo and His All-Starr Band, comprised of seven celebrity
musicians, brought a night of classic rock ‘n’ roll to the sold-out
crowd at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.
As soon as the lights dimmed, the entire crowd jumped to their feet.
Blue and purple stars shone across the backdrop of the theater stage,
ready for their fellow Starr to join them on stage.
This All-Starr Band is the 12th iteration of the live rock supergroup since its inception more than 25 years ago.
Included in the collective are Todd Rundgren, Steve Lukather (Toto),
Gregg Rolie (Journey and Santana) and Richard Page (Mr. Mister), as well
as Warren Ham (Kansas, Toto) and Gregg Bissonette (ELO, David Lee Roth
Band).
Ringo’s enthusiasm and energy did not waver during the show, making it
easy to forget he is 75 years old. He also never let go of the “peace
and love” mentality, as he flashed peace signs while he bounced around
the stage.
Ringo took the stage sporting a bright red
jacket, which he switched halfway through to a black jacket with white
polka dots, and his classic dark sunglasses.
Only two songs into his set he shared his enjoyment to the crowd,
saying he was already enjoying Wilkes-Barre. Every time an audience
member shouted, “I love you Ringo,” he made sure to reply with “I love
you too” with his arms spread open toward the crowd.
From the setup of the show, it is clear Ringo is no longer performing
for the fame or fortune, but for the love of music. The Beatle handed
over the spotlight to his bandmates for much of the night, without
seeming to care he was no longer the center of attention.
The first star to shine on stage was Todd Rundgren with “I Saw The
Light,” as Starr took to his most famous place on stage: behind a drum
kit.
The crowd was as diverse as the band on stage, with patrons as young as
toddlers, but primarily filled with fans reliving The Beatles’ glory
years.
Although fans are used to seeing Starr in the background, his fellow
bandmates seemed to take over for a large chunk of the show, leaving the
main attraction in the background. And while the crowd obviously
favored the songs where Starr was featured, there were many guest songs
that were revered nearly as much.
During a cover of Toto’s “Rosanna,” many of the guest stars flexed
their musical muscles, including a wild organ solo by Rolie, to an
intricate saxophone section by Ham and a blistering guitar solo by
Lukather.
In addition to some Beatles songs, Starr performed tracks the band
covered that featured him on vocals, including the Shirelles’ “Boys,”
and Carl Perkins’ rockabilly “Matchbox,” which kicked off the night of
rock music.
“I think it’s participation time,” Starr said, after noting the crowd
was too quiet. “I promise you will all know this song and if you don’t,
you’re in the wrong venue. You’re waiting for Led Zeppelin to come on.”
Then, the familiar opening chords of “Yellow Submarine” filled the
venue, the crowd erupted into cheers and Starr began singing, “In a town
where I was born…”
The audience waved their hands back and forth during the chorus of the
popular Beatles song, and even the musicians on stage rocked their
instruments back and forth to the beat.
In a move that was met by a wave of applause from the crowd, Rundgren
dedicated their cover of Utopia’s “Love Is The Answer,” to Orlando.
And after two hours of impressive classic rock, the show closed out
with a song that perfectly reflected the mood of the evening and the
All-Starr Band overall: “With A Little Help From My Friends.”
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
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
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