Ringo & The All Starr Band

1999 Tour - Fans' Reviews

This page is dedicated to fans' reviews of the 1999 tour of Ringo and the All Starr Band. If you saw a concert and would like to comment on it, please write to gshultz@airmail.net. Also, if you wish, let us know how far you traveled to the concert. Please be sure to include your name.

Reviews from Atlantic City, New York City, Uncasville, Westbury, Columbus, Merrillville, Chicago , Detroit, Eureka, Kelseyville, Berkeley, Boise, Ogden, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Tunica, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando.

 

Atlantic City - Taj Majal - Feb. 12-14

My husband and I just saw Ringo and the All Starr Band at the Taj Mahal on Feb.12 and it must have been the best concert we have seen in a long time. It lasted 2 hours and the time went so fast I couldn't believe it was over when it was. I told my husband I was sad when it was over
because it was only to be a memory from that point on. The music was great and I will be out looking to see if he has a cd with his new band. Sure brought back old memories of the Beatles and other famous musicians. He is a very nice and humorous man. The other musicans were
also so talented to play as many instruments as they did so well. We had 3rd row seats and couldn't asked for anything better.
~ Susanne Blandford

I did not realize that the marvelous show we attended last night at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City NJ was the opening of the 1999 tour.  Wow!  The show was wonderful.  The performers were energentic and conveyed that energy to the audience, which  was composed of varied ages.  I state this since my husband and I have now hit the 60's - age not a Beatles decade!
I will always remember first comments of the group which took America by storm - those boys with the "long" hair.  I will always remember one of my own sons, with his longer growing hair in the early 70's playing Hey Jude on the keyboards with his little hometown group.  And, when Ringo and the All Starrs performed Shooting Star, I was blown away by memories of this son who aspired to rock musicianship.  He died suddenly and unexpectedly in l995 - yes, Joseph
is a Shooting Star.  In l997 he was joined by my son Kevin - an aspiring drummer - another Shooting Star.
I was unaware that I was listening to one of the composers of Whiter Shade of Pale sing a tune which has been a favorite for many years, since I first heard it performed by my son with a group he was with in college.  Oh those years, they bring me tears - for music goes to the very heart of my soul - and - last night Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band shared their talents and went to the
very heart of my soul.

Loretta from New Jersey

Taj Mahal 2/12/99! WOW! It Don't Come Easy,  I Wnna Be Your Man, Back Off Bugaloo, Boys, I'm the Greatest!, The No-No Song... I left my seat and went to the back to dance during Yellow Submarine! What a great time! Gary Brooker singing "Whiter Shade of Pale" was outstanding, Jack Bruce... White Room, Sunshine of My Love, Simon Kirke ... Alright Now, Shooting Star. Todd Rundgren in a dress and playing great, "The stylish Toodd Rundgren" as Ringo referred to him. How can you sit there on your hands and not have the time of your life?? These are great shows and we were smiling all the way! Ringo never sounded better to me . I never would miss this show.
~ Hougendobler

I went to the Feb. 12th concert with my best friend and her grandmother. I have loved the Beatles all my life and I almost died when Ringo came on the stage and started singing. I enjoyed myself immensly. I am 15, and my best friend is 14. We loved the show and will never forget it. I cried when Ringo sang his last song, because it was then I knew that I would probably never get to see him again in concert and that in 3 days it would all just be a memory and it would never feel this real again. This is an experience I will cherish my whole life through and never forget.
~ Kit Peterson of Pemberton, NJ

The show was great, not bad for a bunch of old men.Gary booker has not lost a
beat.The whole band was good. Todd is still a fasion statement he wore a nice
skirt and hairdoo.
~ JWeiss

I managed to get down to Atlantic City last night to see Ringo Starr's ALL STARR BAND kickoff their 1999 tour.  I went with my wife and 7 year old son, who (due to dad) is a big RINGO fan!  It was the first time I'd ever seen Ringo perform and, from the third row, it was a great experience!  He was as exuberant and excited as usual, and all the musicians seemed to be having a great time (along with the audience).  The great tunes performed by Gary Brooker of Procol Harum fame ("Salty Dog", "Whiter Shade of Pale"), Jack Bruce of Cream fame ("White Room", "Sunshine of Your Love"), and Todd Rundgrun were a nice bonus.  I'd recommend the show to all fans of "Classic" rock and roll.  There were a few rough edges (Rundgrun messed
up a few guitar intros/solos), but the sound system was great and vocals and drums were quite clear.  After about 1.5 hours, the encore concluded with "A Little Help from my Friends".  My son loved "Yellow Submarine" and the "No-No Song"; his only complaint was "Why didn't he do 'You're Sixteen'"?  Oh well, maybe next time...
There was some humorous banter: After "Whiter Shade of Pale", Ringo confessed how much he loved that song, but he had no idea what it meant!  Brooker replied that they could talk about it some night.  And Ringo adds "But you go to bed at nine!" 
Later, Ringo threw a sweat-soaked towel into the audience, telling the person who caught it: "Keep it! In about 1000 years, it might be worth $5"!
~ Gregg Cheplick

I went back to see them again last night. Max Weinburg came out at the end and played drums on a little help from my friends . Yes, he played "Love Me Do."
~ JWeiss

My sister, daughter, and I saw the Friday night opening show at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.  As always (I've seen all four All Starr band tours), Ringo was wonderful.  Todd looked great.  Jack, Gary, and Simon sang their hearts out, and 'Timmy' was in great form.  Please understand
that I am a die-hard Beatles fan since day one, and it hurts me to say anything negative.  However, the three of us noted that the show was a little flat, and I think that Ringo indicated the same.  The audience was a bit older than I've seen at previous ASB tours; perhaps it was
because of the locale (Atlantic City).  It seemed that the audience was a bit nonresponsive, despite desperate attempts by Ringo et al., to get everyone going.  In my very humble opinion, I think that the songs could have been rearranged a bit to get people moving earlier in the show.
Todd could have done "Bang the Drum" as his first song, which always gets folks moving (he did that on the 2nd ASB show).  I think that the loss of Joe Walsh was felt; many people in the audience had expected to see him and asked "Where's Joe?" quite often.  In the 4th ASB tour,
Peter Frampton was there, and he's such an animated soul that he gets the audience really involved in his songs.  I think that Joe Walsh would have done the same (he did on the 1st and 2nd ASB shows), and I think that the show suffered from the lack of someone like that.  Believe me, I had a great time, but the show didn't have the luster that the previous four tours did.  Of course, I'd go again in the heartbeat -- it's Ringo, after all!  However, I hope that this note gets forwarded to his tour management so that a few improvements can be made.  That's my two cents...
~ Nancy Murray Cook

My husband sat on the end seat and I sat next to him --1st row center on Saturday but had 11th row seats on Sunday.  Of course saturday was the best for us because I was able to give Ringo something special as he gave the whole audience a gift of fun.  Yes, I agree with others that his voice is the best ever.  Everyone in the band seemed to have a good time too!  It is a real pleasure to hear all these rock and roll legends.  If anyone is just thinking of getting tickets --- get moveing and don't miss it!
~ Sherry Molner

I saw Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band in Atlantic City on both Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14.  The set list was the same both nights with the exception that Gary Brooker replaced "A Salty Dog" on Saturday with "Conquistador" on Sunday.
On Saturday, Max Weinberg (band leader from "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and Bruce Springsteen's former drummer) sat in on drums for the encore of "With a Little Help From My Friends".  Ringo mentioned that "Bruce is getting the band back together this summer and Max will be part of it."
I enjoyed both nights, but have to admit that the shows were very similar to the 1997 All-Starr Band shows.  Other than Todd Rundgren replacing Peter Frampton at lead guitar and Timmy Cappello replacing Mark Rivera as all-purpose back-up musician, the line-ups were the same and the set lists were just about the same.  Ringo deleted "You're Sixteen" from the 4th tour and
added "Love Me Do" and "Back Off Boogaloo".  Except for Brooker's "Whiskey Train" (and of course Todd Rundgren's songs), the All-Starrs played the same songs as the last time around.  I was a little disappointed that Ringo didn't play anything off of "Vertical Man" (other than "Love Me Do").  As much as I love the "oldies,"  I would have enjoyed some new material, or at least some songs that Ringo hasn't performed in the past (e.g., "Don't Pass Me By," "Goodnight," "It's A Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)," "Goodnight, Vienna").
Ringo was his usual jovial and relaxed self.  Both nights, after returning from his costume change, he joked that he "looks just like Timmy when he (Ringo) takes off his shirt" (Timmy Cappello is the saxophone, harmonica, keyboards, and percussion player on this tour and is very muscular).  On Sunday, after telling a kid "Shut up, you little brat," Ringo reminded himself
that "I was supposed to be the nice one (Beatle)". 
I spoke to David Fishof, the producer of the tour, near the souvenir stand after the Saturday show.  I mentioned that I didn't have the 1st All-Starr Band CD, but was going to wait because Ringo said in his "Ringo on AOL Live" interview that he would release an All-Starr Band 10th Anniversary box set in May or June.  David confirmed that this was correct, and advised me to save my money until the box set comes out.  He also complimented me on my 3rd All-Starr Band t-shirt with the British flag on the front and American flag on the back, and said Ringo had picked out that t-shirt himself.
~ Jeff Root of Fairfax, VA

Saw Ringo and "his band" last night at the Taj Mahal.  WHAT A GREAT SHOW.  IT ROCKED.  Everyone had a teriffic time.  don't miss it.
~ Lynne Golan of Princeton, NJ

Just had the pleasure and the privilege of seeing Ringo and the band perform 2 great concerts in Atlantic City!!!! The first night I was accompanied by my dad Bob and girlfriend Lisa. They thoroughly enjoyed the show. Saturday, I was on my own. I actually think the Friday show was incredibly good considering it was the first night of the tour and perhaps there would be some nervousness. Actualy the band was really tight!!! Several little miscues took place Saturday, including Todd Rundgren breaking his guitar string twice and flubbing some lyrics. However, this is still an awesome show with 2 solid hours of great music. I wish Ringo didn't drop La De Da and You're Sixteen, but hearing Back Off Boogaloo more than made up for it because I know that is one song that kind of comes and goes from the set list, so I was lucky to have heard it!!!! I was also lucky enough to meet Todd Rundgren on Saturday 2/13, at the mall on the boardwalk. He was very nice to my girlfrind and I and signed 2 autographs, one for me and one for a friend. The clerk at the food place where Todd was ordering from asked if he had a smaller bill than a $20, but he said he didn't. My girlfriend made change so I also have Todd's $20!!! All in all, it was  a very memorable weekend and I encourage everyone to get out and see the show because it is truly magical!!!!
~ Bob Malachowski

New York City - Beacon Theater - Feb. 16 - 17

Wow! I've seen all of Ringo's ASB tours with the exception of the Frampton tour. (No accessible venue). This show was the best ever and that includes his first tour at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. (The one recorded on video and CD). Ringo did his usual "What's my name?" and peace sign moves. The show was at the Beacon Theater, a small venue, that appeared sold out. Joe Walsh, whom I assumed was going to be with Ringo again, wasn't. This was not a disappointment as Todd Rundgren really was able to shine. The band was very tight and Jack Bruce was so impressive to see and hear, especially since I was extremely dissapointed in John Entwhistle. Bruce was all over the stage and was having a great time. I must say everyone really seemed happy to be there, audience included. As I've said the band was tight.The only
problem was the sound seemed muddy at times but quickly fixed. It was only a six piece band and plently of songs were played, including an encore of Your Sixteen. Ringo said that they were getting plenty of requests for it and the band learned it that afternoon. Gary Brooker was in great voice and so was Simon Kirk. Timmy Cappello was a great addition filling the sax, percussion, keyboard and vocal parts.I don't want to spoil anything so I won't  mention the song order. I will end this review by saying if anyone is thinking of going, get your tickets now. A splendid time is guaranteed for all and I can't wait for a live recording from this tour. WHATS HIS NAME?!!! RINGO!!! Just in case anyone's forgotten.
~ James Glaser

The show was great. Ringo is good at talking with the audience. He talked about Love and Peace several times throughout the night. The set list changed from the opening Atlantic City shows. Jack Bruce performed Theme from an Imaginary Western solo on the keyboards. As a first encore, the band did You're Sixteen. Ringo said they had put it together that afternoon. I
wished he would add Don't Pass Me By to the set list. My only complaint is that Todd could not handle the required guitar solos. This was very apparent when Jack Bruce almost stole the show with Sunshine of Your Love and White Room. Bring back Peter Frampton or Joe Walsh from previous ASBs.
~ Gary Hallock

Last night was a twin set of "firsts" for my wife and me: going to the Beacon Theatre in New York City and seeing Ringo Starr and the All-Starr Band.  On both counts we were far from disappointed! The band as a whole was terrific:  their program was tight and well-presented, with each "star" of the band given ample opportunity to be the front man.  In fact, Mr. Starkey's willingness to yield the spotlight throughout the evening says as much about his ego as it does about how much he recognizes how strong a line-up he has on this tour. (It's not the first
time he's toured with a "fab" band in his life!)
At the start of the show, Ringo came out front and center and sang (sans drums) "It Don't Come Easy", his first solo hit which was recorded 29 years ago this week, by the way,  and "Act Naturally", the Buck Owens tune known to U.S. record buyers from the "Yesterday and Today" LP.  Then, Ringo got behind the 'skins and the leading members of the band each got a turn to
front for themselves.
Gary Brooker started off with a rousing rendition of "Whiskey Train", followed by Todd Rundgren performing "I Saw the Light".   There's no rust on Mr. Rundgren, who clearly was acting like a kid in a candy store all night.  He introduced the next number by telling the crowd, "Every night I get to live out my dream and sing THIS song with THIS man!"  What followed
may very well have been the highlight of the evening, as Jack Bruce stepped up and the band kicked in with a pulsating version of "Sunshine of Your Love", complete with an extended, but disciplined, jam in the grand tradition of Cream.  Nothing was lost as Mr. Rundgren filled in admirably in Eric Clapton's place.  Simon Kirke then took over with "Shooting Star", appropriately enough.  When he came to the part about Johnny learning his first Beatle song, "'Love Me Do', I think it was", the crowd roared its appreciation.
From the center riser, Ringo remained on drums and sang two tunes from "Please Please Me", the first UK Beatles album (also recorded this month, 36 years ago), "Boys" and then he covered their first UK hit, "Love Me Do". Moving back down to the front of the stage, he then asked the crowd, "Where ya from?", which cued the band to play "Yellow Submarine", accompanied by thousands of "backing vocals" in the crowd. Ringo and the band then left the stage, leaving Mr. Bruce to perform a wonderfully plaintive solo  cover of "Theme from an Imaginary Western".
Messrs. Brooker and Rundgren, with the backing of the band (minus Ringo), then performed "Salty Dog" and "Hammer in My Heart", which the audience, while not totally familiar with either tune, cheered nonetheless.  ("A merciful crowd", Mr. Rundgren offered earlier in the show)
The "Starr" then re-appeared from the wings to sing "I'm the Greatest", the John Lennon-written song from the "Ringo" LP, "The No-No Song" and "Back Off Boogaloo", who Ringo credited the late Marc Bolan (T-Rex) with inspiring.
The band then had one last go-around with the spotlight.  "I Feel Free" (Mr. Bruce), "All Right Now" (Mr. Kirke from his days with Free) sandwiched Ringo's "I Wanna Be Your Man", followed by "Bang On the Drum" (Mr. Rundgren, who resembled more of a teenager than a middle-age rocker!), "White Room" (Mr. Bruce again), which lead into "Whiter Shade of Pale" (Mr. Kirke). 
Ringo then finished off the formal part of the show with "Photograph", co-written with George Harrison, also from the "Ringo" LP from the early 70's.  The requisite encore brought the band back out for Ringo to do "You're Sixteen" and "With a Little Help from My Friends". A splendid time, whether guaranteed or not, was had by all!
Note:  Ringo looked absolutely fantastic;  the years of sobriety and moderate living have done well for him.  He appeared trim and fit, even doing "jumping jacks" towards the end of the evening!  Most of all, he was in great spirits and great voice. The backing musician, a young man by the name of Tim Cappello, was an integral part of the band's performance, alternating between keyboards, percussion, backing vocals and "hot" saxophone -- oftentimes during the same song!  As talented as he was musically, he also offered something for the visual senses of the ladies in attendance: a "buff" physique accentuated by his preference for a beige, skin-colored tank top.

~ Michael Weil

What a great theater to view and listen to Ringo Starr!
Ringo was having a great time, and so was the audience.
Todd Rundgren was decked out in a tie-dyed rockster outfit.  Even his guitar was tie-dyed!  He did a fantastic version of "Hammer in My Head" and "Bang On the Drum."
Gary Booker did "Whiskey Train," which I thought was the musical highlight of the evening (there were many).  I have never heard this song before, and thought it was great.  Timmy Capella did an exhausting job at percussion.  He never missed a beat.
Jack Bruce's voice was smooth and powerful.  My favorites were "I Feel Free," "Sunshine of Your Love," and "Strange Brew."
Ringo drew people to the stage, constantly accepting flowers.  There was one ridiculous woman who twirled red undergarments at him.  To Ringo's credit, he never took them from her.  She was too sleazy for this evening.
~ Marnie Richman

Wow, what a great time my husband and I had . At the Beacon, we had front row seats. I, we were breathless! We were so close to a Beatle!  Ringo looks wonderful,and sounds GREAT.  Jack Bruce was amazing. Gary Brooker is a real pro. What can I say about Todd. Todd is as always, Todd. A man and muscian unto himself. Simon was cool on the drums, and Timmy can play mean SAX !! I think my favorite song was You're Sixteen. The funniest moment was the girl with the red underwear. The most memorable was when Ringo threw  his towel to me . Time stood still. All I heard was my heart beating. My husband almost died. It was a moment in time.   Westbury  Music Fair  was a totally different concert. The revolving stage really gives you a closer look at the performers. You can see everything that's going on. The sound is better . But the audience can't get to close with out getting past or the o.k. from the security stationed around the stage. Ringo seemed more relaxed at the Beacon. But I did up close for You're Sixteen. Ringo waved. My nite was a success.Ringo is THE GREATEST . I hope he comes back real soon.
~ Debi and Bob of Jackson Heights N.Y.               

Uncasville, Conn. - Mohegan Sun Casino - Feb. 19-20

Greetings from Stowe, Vermont ---   Just returned from Uncasville, Connecticut - Mohegan Sun Casino.  Almost 600 miles of driving in 24 hours, and the show was worth every mile, every hour, and then some!!  Ringo seemed to have a nasty cold, but the show must go on, as they say - -  his wit and singing were right on.  Despite his cold, some memory lapses (lyrical and musical), and an iffy-at-best sound system, the band was tight and the music was dynamite.  Ringo was Ringo -- how else to describe him? He said he looks like Timmy when he takes his jacket off, Timmy's arm, that is!  "You know who the boss of this band is", said Ringo.  He also treated us to two encores, saying the longer he kept us at the show, he was preventing us from losing our money in the casino.  Gary Brooker was at his old professional best, with "Whiskey Train" being a great addition to the play list. Timmy Capello's sax and keyboard work were top shelf, but his percussion work was most remarkable - even with two drummers, he added noticeable and welcome additions to the beat. Jack Bruce was outstanding with a capital "O" - best bass player there is, singing like a youngster again!  Simon Kirke worked his tail off on his drum kit - blending in especially well with Jack. Last but not least - Todd. Didn't quite know what to expect. Amazing guitar work on "All Right Now" and "White Room", and the "piece d'resistance", as Ringo called it, "Bang on the Drum".  Who needs Joe Walsh, anyway? I wish I had the time off to travel to more of the shows- it was great. I hope they do it again real soon!     ~  Dan Wesson

    I just wanted to inform you that I just saw Ringo's show a couple nights ago (2-19-99) at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.  I absolutely loved it!  He was great, and really nice to the audience.  I have never seen him before in person let alone heard him sing live before.  I think I was in shock throughout the whole show.  And, when he started singing "Yellow Submarine,"
no matter how embarrassing it was to be in the second row, everyone started singing along including me.  It was a bunch of fun, and Ringo's voice sounded better then ever.  The only thing I was disappointed with was the fact that he wasn't wearing any rings.  Well, he was wearing his wedding band but that was about it.  (I'm learning to cope with that, though!) ;)
The best part of night had to be when he sang "sixteen," and since I am 17 and probably look 16 he pointed to me when he was sang one of the verses.  I was so very lucky to be sitting as close as I did.  Although it was kinda weird since I was one of the youngest people there, probably because this all did occur in a "casino."  No matter though, I loved it.  And, I love Ringo. Peace, Love & Happiness.
~ Kristen Palumbo of Fairfield, CT      

Went to see Ringo's show last night at the Mohegan Sun.
If anyone saw the previous tour this one was slightly different. A lot of the same songs but either they lengthened a few or cut a few short. Ringo did more singing than he did last time around. Back off Bogaloo and It Don't Come Easy were two new additions I think.
I had a good time watching Todd Rundgren on stage. Never realized he was so tall. His song "Bang the Drum" had people dancing in the aisles! He was bouncing around on stage. Very energetic person. I thought for sure a few times he was gonna land on his butt! My 12 year old daughter asked me "is he alright?". Yes he's fine, just having a good old time!
Timmy Capella was an outstanding percussionist!!!!! Compared to Mark Rivera from the last tour, I can't say who was better. I think Timmy had a abit more personality on stage.
Simon Kirke never stops smiling! What an outstanding drummer. I could watch him all night! From where I was sitting (about 35 rows back) I think I saw that he was wearing shorts again. I guess that must be his trademark!
Gary Brooker was he normal self. Outstanding. What a voice! The crowd just goes nuts when he sings.
Jack Bruce, ditto! What can I say about these outstanding performers?
I did notice that his tour did not have the "presence" that the last tour did. Could it be that having been touring for 2 years its time to do something different? I think if Ringo would like to continue, he needs to surround himself with some "fresh" faces. I mean, where else can anyone see all these wonderful performers on the same stage. Ringo is unique with his "All-Starr" band.
Keep it up Ringo. I would go see your shows again and again! THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL EVENING!
~ Sue

This weekend was my seventh " Ringo and the All Starr "shows in the US and Europe,and they keep getting better and better.  In previous shows I have seen the song list wasn't much different from show to show with the exception of the for example Peter Frampton/Todd Rundgren and minor changes like  Gary Brooker's "Conquistador"(US shows) / "Imaginary Western"(Europe).  At Mohegan Sun on Friday "Conquistador" was played and "A Salty Dog" on Saturday .  One interesting thing Ringo said was that because of so many requests they put "Your Sixteen" back in the line up.  I am glad to see they are listening to the fan's reviews. The band was tight considering this was only the 6th & 7th night of the tour. Everyone knew each other's material with a few very minor mistakes.  The banter on stage was witty and including   Todd in his skirt?   Ringo stating he looked like Timmy if he took his shirt off.....nah....but still cute.....both could make interesting stories...... . I listened to the tapes I made at both shows and I would say the audience on Friday was the more vocal and Saturday night was more standing ovations.   All in all  it was great  fun  and I will go see them again and advise anyone thinking of going to get your tickets early.  All I can say is it's been ten years wouldn't it be fantastic to see ten more?
~ Chris McIntyre

Saw Ringo for the fourth time!  He keeps "Getting Better All The Time". He is the Greatest.....You couldn't have more fun and enjoyment than at one of his shows!
Can't wait until he returns...You don't want to miss it, especially if you can get great seats (we had 3rd row) . You really get to see and hear Ringo at his best! If you've never seen him, you don't know what you're missing....
~ AL

I went to the concert at the Mohegan Sun Casino. Since we are from Maine and a lot of acts don't come our way I begged my parents to take me. I went to the concert on Feb. 20 th. It was the best concert I've ever been to, I'm only 12 so I haven't been to many, but it was still the best. I think Ringo did a great concert, when they played Back Off Bugaloo even my mom was screaming. I didn't know who Todd Rundgren was, but I'm glad I found. When he played the song Hammer In My Heart, I thought he was pretty cool, even with a skirt on. Like my dad said " Jack Bruce was wailin' " I'm a big fan of Cream so when they played Sunshine of Your Love I was screaming so loud I almost lost my voice. When Simon Kirke played Alright Now the crowd was on their feet.  The encore was You're Sixteen and A Little Help From My Friends.
I'm really glad I went, even my mom who isn't a big Ringo Starr fan loved the concert. Also at the end of the concert a lady in the front row asked Ringo if she could have his shirt, it was hilarious.
Well that's what I tought of the concert.

~Beth

Westbury, N.Y. - Westbury Music Fair - Feb. 21 & 24

Greetings Ringo Fans, from Long Island, NY.  Saw Ringo and the All Stars last night at Westbury, which is a 2800 person theatre in the round.  He has a second date here on Wednesday.  The show was very entertaining, with Ringo in fine form and appearing to enjoy the intimate setting of Westbury (once you've seen a show here, you are spoiled to see a show
anywhere else).  We had seats on the aisle that the performers use to get to the stage, and Ringo Starr, THE Ringo Starr, walked right past me - yes, I did reach out and touch his jacket.
The band was very good, with Jack Bruce's performances of Cream classics absolutely fantastic.  Gary Brooker also was a real treat doing the well-known Procol Harum songs.  I enjoyed Todd Rundgren's "I saw the Light", but honestly have to say his other stuff didn't do much for me. I think Joe Walsh might have been more to my liking.
Drummers - I am not sure what kit Ringo was playing, but the drumhead had the old, small-style 'Ludwig' on it, telling me that it goes way back.  Also, Ringo's cymbals were not the typical real shiny brilliant finish, but the tarnished look, typical of the way they commonly looked years ago.  You could wonder what songs of old this kit might have been used on.
All in all, a very enjoyable show.  Ringo never takes himself real seriously, and, as he reminded us, the night was for fun, fun, fun.  And it was.
~ John Sauer, Long Island, NY

Just saw the Ringo concert at Westbury Music Fair last night. It was the 14th All-Starr fest I've seen and of couse I enjoyed it immensely. The band was virtually identical to the '97 band, substituting Todd Rundgren for Peter Frampton and Timothy Cappello for Mark Rivera. In '97
Frampton shocked me with how prolific he is as an instrumentalist, Todd on the other hand
was more journeyman like. Cappella is a far better sax player than Rivera and exudes much more showman like qualities, so it's kinda of a push with the substitutions. Ringo performed a dozen songs on this tour and it seemed more like HIS band than usual, his voice is stronger than ever and he looks terrific, very trim and much younger than his 58 years. Ringo was in great humor this night, making lite of the revolving stage, with lots of off the cuff jokes. The sound system was mint, far better than the muddy sound at the Beacon Theater last week. All in all a great show for anyone who hasn't seen any of these All-Starr affairs.
As a huge Beatles fan I hate to say anything negative about one of the boys but this has to be addressed. Ringo should change his playlist, he especially needs to play his latest material from the wonderful "Vertical Man" CD. I had the pleasure of seeing Ringo at the Bottom Line and at Sony Studios for the taping of the "Storyteller" show. Those nights (as anyone who's got the CD can attest to) were Ringo's finest hour on stage, the Roundheads were perfectly suited to play his  songs ,AND Ringo played 5 new  songs from Vertical Man as well as Beatle chestnuts not attemped  with the All-Starrs. The result was as stunning as it was refreshing. Ringo has been quoted as saying that he doesn't do "Octopus's Garden" because he already does the similarily themed "Yelow Submarine" and people know that one better. What people? Certainly not the ones who attend his shows; Earth to Ringo: these people are Beatle fans they know ALL of the Beatles' songs. Another more commercial reason for playing Vertical Man songs is that he could sell more copies of the CD. The more copies of "Vertical Man"  he sells the bigger the potential audience for his next offering, with commerical radio not playing his new CD it's up to him to build an audience for his new work; besides that CD is a classic in my mind, those tracks could become concert favorites!!!                     
~ Steve Sidoti  of Deer Park, New York

Attended the Ringo show at Westbury. It was fantastic! Ringo and the All Starrs sounded great. Everybody had a good time. The crowd stayed until the last note, even though the exiting of the parking lot stinks.
Ringo was dressed in a greenish-blue jacket with a tie-dyed type shirt. He changed his outfit halfway through the show to a vest,or how he put it, his "waistcoat." Gary was also dressed nicely as noted by ringo. Todd wore a tailored blue suit only to remove his jacket after the third song, revealing a black tee-shirt with the words "Die Yuppie Scum" on it. Simon had on a white-tee shirt and red gym shorts.
The round stage was a nice touch since you could see the back of the drummers and the fancy "Starkey" footwork on the drum pedels. Since the stage turns slowly,you have to put up with the bad angles from time to time. My row "O" seat was great and I don't think that there is a bad seat in the whole place. When the encore time came the band didn't leave the stage. Ringo told the audience to make believe that they left and make some noise. After about a minute he started "You're Sixteen." The round stage and exiting uphill through the crowd might have caused that band to remain on stage. Who needs all that encore screeming anyway,they always come back. Too bad the show (just under 2 hrs.) didn't last all night. Joe Walsh missed out on a good show but who needs him anyway. Long live the All Starrs!!!
~ John Volpi, Smithtown, N.Y.

I just want to personally thank RINGO for another incredible concert.This was the 7th time I have seen RINGO  and the best one yet since Westbury is a fantastic place to see a concert. This was the closest I have been to the stage. Seeing RINGO up close was incredible.RINGO is my idol. I was able to see him play the drums.The stage revolves at Westbury so you get to see every angle. I was hoping to shake RINGO's hand but at one point I think he may have smiled at me when I was screaming his name. Not sure since others were screaming too. But I did get to touch JACK BRUCE. He came into the audience and I patted him on the back twice. That was incredible since he is one of my idols, too. Just an incredible night. THANK YOU RINGO AND JACK BRUCE AND THE WHOLE BAND. PEACE AND LOVE.
~ Jeff of New York

Westbury Music Fair is a theater-in-the-round which was perfect for this down-sized version of the All-Starr Band. My wife and I totally enjoyed last night's show.
This was the 3rd time I've seen the Ringo & The All Starr Band. I thought it was a great concert. Rundgren was great, Brooker's voice was on, as was Jack's. Simon had some really good vocals also. Tim is quite a musician -- keyboards, percussion, brass -- and all done top-level. Ringo -- well, he's Ringo. His drumming was upbeat, his voice was fine, and his banter was enjoyable.
Fashion note: Todd was onstage barefoot, wearing a sleeveless shirt and a pareo. Jack's sportjacket looked like a brick wall.

~ Michael Eisenstein

I went to the February 24th show at Westbury Music Fair and it was terrific! This venue is small and intimate, with all seats being close to the rotating round center stage.  Ringo was in fine form, very energetic, jovial, funny, and connecting well with the audience.  He is remarkably fit and trim, with a youthful physique, and looked great in his colorful outfits.  The All-Starrs were terrific as well, and seemed to complement Ringo perfectly.  Joe Walsh's absence did not detract from the quality of the band or the show.
After performing the opening number ("It Don't Come Easy"), Ringo asked if anyone in the audience had been to the February 21st show (this show was a late addition to the tour after the quick sellout of the show on February 21st).  When a smattering of people from the capacity crowd applauded, Ringo replied humorously, "OK, five of you".  Throughout the show, he interjected lots of jokes between numbers.  His affableness, sense of humor, graciousness, and charming nature are almost as much of a treat for the audience as are the musical performances, and it's these intangible qualities that make Ringo so lovable and such a joy to see.
    The show featured Ringo alternating the spotlight between him and his highly talented bandmates.  His voice was in fine form as he fronted the band to perform some of his classics from his solo career ("Photograph", "You're Sixteen", "No No Song,  "I'm The Greatest", "Back Off Boogaloo").
    The classic Beatle tunes Ringo performed included "Act Naturally", "Yellow Submarine" (a sing-along favorite), and "With A Little Help From My Friends" (the encore song).  He sang "Boys" and "I Wanna Be Your Man" from behind his drum kit.  Also performed from behind his kit was "Love Me Do". (his rendition of the Beatle classic from his album, "Vertical Man").  This song was just as much appreciated by the crowd as were other Beatle tunes included in the show.
    And when the spotlight was on Ringo's bandmates, they delivered.  Gary Brooker  played beautiful and moving renditions of "Whiskey Train" and "Whiter Shade of Pale".  Jack Bruce was marvelous with "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love".  This was the first time I noticed that he plays a fretless bass, which requires remarkable precision and ability.  Todd Rundgren, barefoot and clad in a skirt, performed "I Saw The Light" and "Hammer Through My Heart", in
addition to the huge crowd-pleaser "Bang on The Drum".  He was energetic and fun, and he played lead guitar very well throughout the show.  Simon Kirke sang "Shooting Star" and "All Right Now" from behind his drum kit, and both his vocal performances and his drumming were very impressive.
    Ringo played drums alongside Simon Kirke, and it was fun to watch the two of them drum at times in tandem and at times in complementary fashion.  I have always loved watching Ringo play drums, and I'm an admirer of his unique and ground-breaking style.  This show provides a great opportunity to watch him in action.
    My only quibbles with the show were that (1) "Octopus' Garden" is omitted from the set and (2) I would not have minded Ringo perhaps performing another number from "Vertical Man", possibly "La De Da".   But these are relatively minor complaints.  Overall, the concert was great.  It's a must-see.
~Diane A., Lindenhurst, NY

Columbus, Ohio - Schottenstein Center - Feb. 22

Nine of us went together to see Ringo's Columbus OH show last night, and for several of us it was the 4th incarnation of his All Starr band.  As did everyone in the place we missed seeing Joe (the concert venue, Schottenstein Center, even posted signs by the ticket takers warning all
that "Joe Walsh Is Definitely Not Playing Tonight").  Once we got over that, we really enjoyed the concert.  The band members who were there did an excellent job.  To me, Gary Brooker's timeless voice doing the Procol Harum standards (when was the last time I heard Salty Dog?)  and Jack Bruce's pumped up energy doing the Cream classics, especially White Room,
were the highlights of the show.  Jack especially was the greatest crowd pleaser.  We're all big Todd fans and had to settle for hearing the 'bubble gum' material which most mainstream fans know, like I Saw The Light, instead of his classic stuff that only the true Todd fan knows.  You take what you can get I guess.  (His lead guitar work though was excellent all night long, and we did get to hear him do Hammer In My Heart.  But no dress.)
But hey, where else do you go to see 4 or 5 concerts all at once, with Ringo's collection of stars?  And it's always great to see a Beatle.  The crowd's strongest reactions were to "Yellow Submarine" and of course "With A Little Help From My Friends".  Overall, some great individual
performances, a total band sound that at times seemed like they only met a month ago, but the usual great time being had by all.  See you next time around Ringo!   (Please bring Joe)
~ Dick of Grove City

The Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio is home to the Ohio State University Buckeyes basketball team.  On Monday night, February 22, it was home to Ringo and the All-Stars and I, my long-time friend, Judi, and the 5000+ other fans were their guests.  No, the band was not lost
in the cavernous arena, rather, the interior was partitoned off to provide a closer setting.  Yes, the upper seats were soaring overhead but the few that were occupied were certainly chosen for personal reasons rather than  ticket restrictions.  All other seating afforded a great view of the band.  Our particular seats were to the side and slightly raised from the floor level.  They were awesome, and although we really didn't need them, both of us had binoculars trained on our guy
nearly the whole time!  Those folks sitting around us soon became friends, exchanging tidbits of information about Ringo and the other musicians.  We even shared our binoculars with our new friends during their favorites' highlights.
The band opened with "It Don't Come Easy" before Ringo took the stage. Musically, it reminded me of a six cylinder car struggling uphill, trying but not quite making it.  I became a little anxious that that opening might set the tone for the whole show.  I reminded myself that
these veteran performers, old friends if you will, would not be here if they didn't have their playing to offer us.  My tensions eased and they took me over completely.  It gave me great joy to witness these guys enjoying themselves.  Tod Rundgren is still a fun, nutty guy who provides a playfulness against the somewhat more serious Brooker and Bruce.  I thought the entire lineup a good mix.
Now about Ringo.  What a darling!  He looked spectacular in a light teal jacket, a bright colored "psychedelic" shirt, and black pants.  His black shoes looked rather like soft space boots although it was difficult to get a good fix on them.  I sat back in my seat once and marvelled at his energy and the way he drew the audience to him.  He acknowledged some young Ringo fans sitting in the front.  When several people would rush up to the stage, he would slap as many hands as he could reach.  He once gave a pair of drumsticks to a female fan, exclaiming, "I could never refuse a crying woman."
A woman brought a black cowboy hat to the stage which he wore while singing "Act Naturally."  Then he gave it back.
Those of you who have seen Timmy Cappello before will certainly get this comment!  After a sax solo by Timmy, Ringo walked to the mike and said, "If I took my shirt off I would look just like Timmy!" For those of you who don't know, Timmy is a body builder who looks like a GI Joe doll with a ponytail.  Even so, Ringo was the one who held our attention. These quips of his were such fun!  When announcing "Boys" he reverted to a heavy Liverpudlian accent.  He later said, "When I woke up this morning I said, 'What do I want to be today?  And I said, I Want To Be Your Man."  Which, of course, introduced the song.
I saw Ringo and the All-Starrs in 92 and it seemed that Ringo played more this time which was thrilling.  I LOVE to watch him play.  Often he and Simon seemed totally in sync and other times were excellent complements.  Simon is a more physical player which seems to be in keeping with rock drummers from the 70s.
The house lights came up for the Yellow Submarine sing along.  It was tremendous fun.  I personally wish he would do more songs from his vast solo catalogue, such as "Devil Woman," which a fan requested via a noted delivered to the stage.  That is a rocker which could be fabulous to hear live.  Or maybe let Love Me Do rest for a time and go for "You Can't Do That."  That would be a great song with good harmony opportunities for the others.  Something else to consider.  A ballad, perhaps, like "In A Heartbeat" from Time Takes Time.  Be comfortable enough with us, Ringo, that you show us the depth of your ability. We're waiting.
In summary, I would recommend NEVER missing an All-Starr tour. They are great fun and I would further recommend that the concert goer consider that yes, I am seeing one of the most famous people in 20th Century history but also a wonderful musician, singer, and person in his own right.  Listen to Time Takes Time, Ringo, Storytellers, Vertical Man, Old Wave and all the others.  Through the years this guy has offered a little bit of everything to us from rock to standards to country.  Will see the Star Plaza, Merrillville, IN concert on Friday, February 26
and can hardly wait.
Loving you 35 years and counting, Ritchie!
~ Sandi Otte

Ringo Starr and the All-Starr Band's performance at the Jerome-Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University on February 22, 1999 was incredible!  I traveled over six hours from South Bend, Indiana with four friends: Jason, Adam, Marcy, and Lori. We are all in our late teens/early twenties, and being surrounded by 30-40 year olds was strange but well worth it!  This was all of ours first time being in the presence of a Beatle!!  It was fantastic and unbelievable!  I could not fathom that I was in the same room as an actual Beatle!
The show went wonderful!  It was a fully-energized 'rockin night!  As said before, the All-Starrs were dead on!  The sound was incredible and so tight.
Ringo's vocals were better than ever, as expected.  And seeing him behind the drum kit bopping his head back and forth, I couldn't help but feel the presence of The Beatles!   Ringo's best moments were: "Boys",  "Love Me Do", "Back Off Boogaloo", and "With A Little Help From My Friends."  But by far, "Yellow Submarine" was the highlight of his show!  My only complaint, like others, is that he didn't do more songs off of the incredible "Vertical Man" album, or his re-vamps of "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden" from "Vh1 Storytellers". Ringo needs to gain the courage to do a tour with just him and The Roundheads (the band from "Vertical Man" and "Vh1 Storytellers"), those albums have been his greatest solo achievements.  But I was
still greatly impressed with this 5th All-Starr Band.  It was a great 10th Anniversary show!
Simon Kirke, from Bad Company's drumming was fabulous.  He never missed a beat, and his singing was great.  It was so fun to sing along to songs like: "Shooting Star" and "Alright Now."
Gary Brooker, from Procol Harum, doing the keyboard parts, was a great rhythm fill in seeing that they only had one guitarists.  It was also such a treat to hear the wonderful "Whiter Shade of Pale!" Todd Rundgren was phenomenal on lead guitar!  I saw the tour video from 1993 and I was not that impressed with him, but he has sure developed!  He was so fun to watch and listen to!  He gave this tour the energy it needed!  "Bang on the Drum" alone was enough to get me
going all night!  We were all singing that as we left!
Jack Bruce, from Cream, was the most powerful and energetic bassist I have ever seen!  His chemistry with Todd Rundgren made the night!  On songs like "Sunshine of your Love", "I Feel Free", and "White Room" it was pure magic! 
Timmy Cappello, was so incredible.  He had to have played a dozen different instruments throughout the night.  He was most prevalent on saxophone though.  Another great highlight of his was the keyboard lead on "Whiter Shade of Pale."
My favorite part of the entire evening was when my friend, Jay and I rushed the stage during the encore!  I saw a Beatle like basically 15 to 20 feet away from me!  It was so incredible!!  As the ushers tried to get us back to our seats, suddenly my friend, Jay just darted towards the stage and got right in front of Ringo before being pulled back!  It was so cool!  The night was so great!  I have seen a Beatle!  One down, two to go.
~ Tim Gilleand of  South Bend, Indiana

I went to the Columbus show with my cousin Tara Smith and we had a blast.  We got up and danced ourselves silly during Yellow Submarine, and we're pretty sure Ringo pointed to us!  Tara almost fainted( she has a big crush on Ringo...don't tell anyone).  I wish every night could be an All Starr night!
~ Melanie Thomas of Oxford, OH

My family attended the Ringo's All -Starr 1999 concert in Columbus, Ohio. It was really great, really worth it and I screamed the whole time, l lost my voice by the end of the show. He looked very small and short from where i was sitting. We were seated 9 rows back from the stage, on the floor. And when i looked at the stage before the show, he had a star shaped tamborine sitting next to the mike stand. Ringo arrived a bit late and before that people were screaming for Ringo to come out. We kept getting false alarms, like a maintenance person would saunter out and fix the mike. People would yell at him. Man, security was tight and if you stood up, they told you to sit down. Some kids had a sign that said, "We love you Ringo" and they held it up and held a lighter in front of it to light it. Some guys even jumped on stage and danced to the Cream song, the one cream guitarist was there. People were screamin' at Ringo, "Ringo! Over here!" when he was trying to talk in between each song. When he sang Yellow Submarine, he rocked the house. Everyone sung all the words and danced to it. I had a really really great time, I held up a British flag and he pointed at my general direction in the audience during "You're Sixteen". That was a thrill. He was giving people high fives and stuff and even came back for an encore, there was even a standing ovation after that but he didn't come back again. Wow, it was a lot of fun but I was dead tired the next day and my voice was shot, my then boyfriend was utterly puzzled the next day. "Who is Ringo Starr?" He kept asking me. I got an All-Stars shirt, I have to admit it looks kinda ugly, but it has Ringo's cute face on it. I wear it proudly. Thinking back on the whole experience makes me smile.
~Sybil Drew

Merrillville, Ind. - Star Plaza Theatre - Feb. 26

On Friday night, 02/26/99, the Star Plaza in Merrillville, Indiana definitely became the Starr Plaza when Ringo and his All Starr Band rolled into town.  It was a rainy, somewhat foggy night - almost Londonish.  Very appropriate!  I attended the concert with my two best friends, Judi and Sandi, and our husbands.  Judi and Sandi had just seen Ringo on 02/22/99 in Columbus, Ohio and were still on "Cloud 9" (sorry George, I couldn't resist) from that show.  However, they both felt the entire band was more "on" for the Merrillville show.  Ringo was in top form, looking incredibly fit in black jeans, a tomato red jacket trimmed in black, and a lime colored shirt.  My friends felt his drum playing was more vigorous than it had been in Columbus, more "physical" if you will.  I only knew he was terrific.  Todd Rundgren was resplendent in a bright yellow 3 piece suit, which Ringo made several funny references to, including one during the singing of "Yellow Submarine".  Todd himself was animated in the extreme and a pure delight both to see and hear.  In fact, all band members were great and much appreciated by the crowd.  Ringo took an obvious delight in the crowd's reception to his mates, smiling when they received their due accolades.  Such a generous, loving man.  The musical lineup was the same as Columbus, a lot of the patter was also the same.  Of course, not many of us were lucky enough to see both shows so it was new to us, and those who had seen it before were more than happy to see it again.  The audience was on its feet, dancing and singing, for much of the show.  It was simply impossible to sit still.  Gary Brooker made a comment about how "alive" the audience was, and Ringo commented that it was a better audience than he had had at the same theater several years ago.  Also, it was fun to see so many young people enjoying themselves.  The family in the row in front of us had three young boys, probably aged 10 to 14, obviously well-versed in 60s music; all three were having a blast.  The boys were very responsive to each musician and especially seemed to get into the Cream songs.  They were fun to watch.
 We only have one very slight criticism which seems to be echoed by many, and that is that Ringo needs to add something more from Vertical Man to the show.  When he announced that the next song was from Vertical Man, the crowd went wild.  Of course the song was Love Me Do, which was great, but the audience seemed a tiny bit disappointed that it wasn't a newer composition from Vertical Man.  If only we had some way of getting to Ringo to tell him!
 This show was two hours of pure bliss, and an evening we would love to repeat many, many times. 
 ~ Susan Shaps, Sandi Otte and Judi Phillips 

Going into Ringo's concert at "Starr" Plaza Theatre, I was a little disappointed, having read that he wasn't performing any of his new songs from Vertical Man ("Love Me Do" not really qualifying as a "new" song), but that disappointment quickly went away as Ringo and his All-Starrs put on an absolutely great performance that was thoroughly entertaining!  The excitement built as the first few notes of "It Don't Come Easy" were played and Ringo ran onto the stage, and from then on the crowd was moving, and you could see huge smiles everywhere you looked.  I was really impressed at two songs I don't know if I've heard before, Gary
Brooker singing "Whiskey Train" (I'm not sure if he played that when I saw the Fourth All-Starr Band) and Todd Rundgren singing "Hammer in my Heart."  All of Jack Bruce's performances of Cream songs were ecstatically received, and the songs gave the band a chance to really
cut loose and jam.  The crowd also went crazy for Todd's "Bang on the Drum," which seemed like a perfect song on a Friday night.  "Whiter Shade of Pale" was absolutely beautiful, and one of the concert's great moments was when Simon Kirke sang "Johnny was a schoolboy/When he heard his first Beatles song."  The crowd, of course, went crazy, and it was a true feel-good moment.  It's probably safe to say that the music of the Beatles is what brought everyone in the place together--fans and musicians, so it was a great song to perform.  The concert was very
exciting visually, too.  They had pretty creative lighting and a disco ball, the band members were all dressed very stylishly (except Kirke's usual t-shirt and shorts), there was a backdrop of sunflowers and a blue sky, and Ringo at one point even played a starr shaped tambourine.  The
crowd was very warm and appreciative and totally enthusiastic throughout.  Brooker even mentioned that the crowd was much more "alive" than the ones in New York had been.  All of Ringo's numbers were well-received.  It was good to hear "Back Off Boogaloo," and the fans
were treated to more Ringo performances than in the past, and he drummed as he sang four of his songs (drumming at the end of "Back Off Boogaloo").  In fact, Ringo's drumming was probably the highlight of the show for me.  He did some amazing things on the drums.  Kirke did, too, but the difference to me was that Kirke looked like he was working very hard and getting a great workout.  Ringo just played amazingly well and acted like "it did come easy."  I guess that's what they mean when they say he has "great feel."  Watching Ringo play drums is probably as close as you can come to seeing a Beatles performance.  He has hair too short to shake like the old days, but his flair for drumming and his greatness and enthusiasm are still there.  "Photograph" and his encore of "You're Sixteen" and "With a Little Help From My Friends" were great and left the crowd feeling thrilled.  I saw this concert with three friends from college, and for the four of us who learned to love the Beatles and Ringo in the "cd age," it was a magical night of rock and roll.  Anyone that misses out on a chance to see the All-Starr Band is missing an opportunity to listen to real rock music performed by legends.
~ Travis Truitt

 

Chicago, Ill. - Park West - Feb. 28

I attended my third All-Starr show last night at Park West in Chicago. There's something magical about taking in a show of a Beatle!  Park West is to be commended on the excellent sound quality (no muffled speech in between songs).  Ringo's vocals were very good, and I thought the band played tight.  The song list was very similar to the '97 tour, with, of course , Todd Rundgren's songs replacing those of Peter Frampton. 
The only gripe I have is the lack of any material from "Vertical Man", other than "Love Me Do".  I realize the album wasn't a huge commercial success, but then again, for the modestly (to put it mildly) priced tickets, I'm guessing the majority of the crowd consisted of die hards that would have enjoyed hearing "La De Da" or another one of the newer tracks.
Overall, though, it was definitely worth the price of admission, along with the drive from Green Bay.  I look forward to All-Starr tour #6!
~ John Fameree

We traveled 210 miles down the interstate from Green Bay, WI to see Ringo and the All-Starr Band in Chicago. Park West in Chicago is a "premier live music hall" that holds about 750 - 1000 people. It's about the size of a high school auditorium, with booths and tables filling up the main floor, and bars in the back. There's also a balcony which seats a row of people on each side. The small, intimate setting provided a great atmosphere to hear Ringo's better-than-ever singing voice and between-song banter.
My brother and I arrived at approximately 6:45 PM for the 7:30 show and were told that all tables and booths in the club were "reserved", so we were relegated to standing in the back by the bar. I expected better, especially considering the ticket price of $60 for our "general admission" seat, but it was hard to complain since even in the back we had a great view of the stage. The show was hosted by Teri Hemmert of XRT Radio in Chicago, a familiar face to those of us who attend the Chicago Beatlefest every year. The band came out around 7:40 PM and
started up the opening chords to It Don't Come Easy. Ringo then came jogging out, wearing a new gray suit which almost matched his hair. Under the suit coat he was wearing a black T-shirt with silver glittery letters that said "Passport for Pets"!?! The band played tighter than ever, and with the great sound system, you could clearly distinguish Jack Bruce's bass, Todd Rundgren's guitar, the keyboards, drums, and percussion. All band members seemed in great spirits. Rundgren was wearing his purple dress again, and at one point jumped on top of Gary Brooker's bench (while Brooker was on break, of course). The seated crowd was mostly subdued, although they did give standing ovations to most of Ringo's songs, as well as "White Room" and "Whiter Shade of Pale".
Ringo received flowers from many women throughout the show, at one point saying "I'll put these in my special pouch" and proceeding to toss the flowers across the stage. He spotted someone in the crowd holding up a "Stop and Smell the Roses" album and said "I have that album!". Also, someone down front had a replica of Ringo's pink Sgt. Pepper jacket, and
he said "There's no way you're getting me to wear that tonight!!"
After "It Don't Come Easy", the band went on to "Act Naturally", for which Ringo tried on a cowboy hat with a star on it (handed to him by an audience member), but gave it back, saying "It's too small". The band stuck pretty much with the usual set list, with "Love Me Do"
disappointingly the only "Vertical Man" song (see bottom of message for complete set list). It was a great show, but it would have been nice to hear some new songs from Ringo. I've been to the last 4 All Starr tours, and they've been moving to smaller and smaller venues every year. At
this point it appears to be only the die-hard Ringo/Beatle fans attending. I think it would definitely help generate some excitement and more ticket sales if Ringo would add some new songs to the lineup, particularly "Octopus's Garden", "Don't Pass Me By",  "Oh My My", or anything more from "Vertical Man". As I said, though, it was an excellent show, and it was well worth the $60 and the 4 hour drive to spend the evening in the company of such great musicians. I look forward
to more great music from Ringo in the coming years and more All Starr tours to hit the Midwest!
~ Mike Fameree

What an unbelievable show I saw the other night at the park west. I was able to sit right in front of the stage and scream and shout. I can't get over how good Ringo looks. Trim and fit, and being so close to him I noticed his skin is still very youthful. He looks much better than Paul and George these days.
Now onto the show. I'm not going to go through all the songs as everybody the basic line up by now. Yes, I was disappointed that Love Me Do was the only song from Vertical Man that made it to the show. This was such as small audience and they were hard core fans who know Ringo's material. There were even a couple of people holding up stop and smell the roses posters. (Ringo commented, "I've got that one.")
Ringo really sang well as the show had a VH1 Storytellers feel to it more than a big blown out concert. I really enjoyed Gary and Jack. Jack's bass solos were unbelievable and I thought Gary's Whiskey Train was the best song from the guys in the band. Todd was crazy, but I'm not a big Todd fan. I thought I Saw The Light sounded horrible. I can also do without Simon Kirk. He seems very boring to me. Kudos to Tim Cappello who played so many instruments (though not simultaneously).
Anyway, it was just such a pleasure to watch Ringo. He is so confident on stage and so witty. I saw him in 1989 with the first All-starr band and I can really see the difference in his confidence. I will certainly catch him any time I possibly can.
~ MS Daffner Co.

Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band performed at the Park West in Chicago on February 28 and it was without a doubt one of Ringo’s and The All Starr’s finest hours.  The small club provided perfect atmosphere, a very intimate setting and excellent sound. After waiting in line out in the cold from 4:30 PM, for the doors to open at 6 PM for the 8 PM performance, the warm atmosphere of the club was a welcome relief.   My friend and I were able to get seats very close to the stage, and the mood in the club was so positive with excitement,  I could physically feel
it.  This may have been due to the fact that virtually everyone present was a first generation Beatle-Ringo fan, a hard core group who have been devoted to Ringo for 35 years.  As conversations drifted by me, many spoke glowingly about Ringo’s 90’s recording work:
"Vertical Man," “Time Takes Time,” and “Storytellers."  Although CD’s from Ringo’s first two ASB tours were available for sale along with T shirts and 10 yr. commemorative keychains, sadly these studio albums were not present for sale.
As the time for the concert drew near, the level of anticipation rose to near feverish pitch.  When the band came out, everyone jumped to their feet and the applause was deafening.  When Ringo came out to the chords of "It Don't Come Easy," the decibel level went right off the charts.  It was so intense and so honest that Ringo’s efforts to tone down the din and join the song were
futile.  Realizing it was hopeless, Ringo looked at the crowd, grinned and then said, "Well alright then," and spread his arms out as if to gather in the love that was washing over him.  Obviously touched, Ringo then started singing, with a look of utter bemusement on his face.  Ringo wore a
silver suit over a navy blue shirt.  He looked incredibly strong, young, slim, energized and happy, the ongoing result of his spiritual awakening 11 years ago and renouncement of cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.  When the song ended, everyone got to their feet again and just hammered out applause laced with ear splitting whoops, cheers, foot stomping and whistles.  When he launched into a rollicking version of "Act Naturally" the whole crowd sang and moved to the beat.  Near the front a fan handed him a cowboy hat, which he put on briefly and returned.  Ringo’s voice has never sounded better or stronger. During each song, and all through the show, Ringo
was full of smiles and his face was radiant. 
Ringo introduced the band then and when he got to Tim Cappelo, Ringo teased that when he took off his shirt, he looked just like Tim.  Tim showed off his biceps with a skin tight body shirt over tight satin pants.  His long hair was gathered into a pony tail.
Gary Brooker was up next on keyboard performing "Whiskey Train" which was warmly received followed by Todd Rundgren’s "I Saw the Light.”  Ever the comedian, Todd Rundgren, looking like an afghan puppy with long shaggy hair, wore a pink/orange/yellow Hawaiian shirt, over a pink print "skirt."  That got quite a giggle from the audience and some amused looks from Ringo which played right into the mood of the incredibly upbeat crowd.  Jack Bruce followed with the classic, "Sunshine of Your Love."  Everyone adored Simon Kirke's "Shooting Star." The
mood was intense and the crowd grew very quiet so the words could be heard, except that they sang the chorus each time with great relish.  Kirke’s vigorous, flashy drum style is fun to watch.
The pattern for the show was obvious -- the first chords of every song brought people to their feet with unabashedly joyful applause of approval and anticipation, peppered with whoops of delight and whistles.  During each song, the audience sang, clapped, and swayed to the powerful performances which ended with loud applause accompanied by foot stomping and screams.  Virtually every song by every performer received a hearty, very sincere standing ovation.  The response to Ringo’s songs was deliciously deafening!  Although the audience would have loved to hear more selections from "Vertical Man" and "Time Takes Time," the songs Ringo did perform met with absolute approval from the crowd.
Ringo's drumming was awesome and as usual, he made it look so easy.  It was obvious from the first that everyone on stage was enjoying the music with a special intensity and they seemed to pour all of themselves into it, giving each song, each note, each jam everything they had and then reaching down and giving more.  It was also obvious that everyone on stage adored the audience
as much as the audience adored them.  A wise Ringo fan and friend said it well, “When the audience is as ON as the players, there is magic.”
When Ringo introduced "Boys," (“The first song I ever recorded”), the mood inside rose to fever pitch.  Everyone stood and sang the song with Ringo who performed a very energized version of this classic piece of rock history, the audience clapping hands and moving to the pounding beat.  "Love Me Do," the only number from the album “Vertical Man,” introduced as Ringo’s “own special version” was also warmly received.  But when the first chords of "Yellow Submarine," (“Here’s one you all know and love”), were heard, the whole place went up for grabs. I'm surprised that the roof is still on the building.  Of course everyone sang and the joy fairly bounced off the walls.
Ringo was very animated and full of charm with the audience, interacting, shaking hands, accepting flowers, talking and joking a lot with people when he was down front. At one point, a fan in front of me handed him a rose.  Before the show, the petals had started to drop, and she had tucked them into the plastic holder.  She wrote a note and attached it, saying that she was sorry to give Ringo a rose that was falling apart.  Unable to let such an opportunity slip by, Ringo with a mischievous grin took the rose and waved it hard in the air, causing the petals to fly
everywhere.  He laughed and the audience went wild, able to figure out by his antics what the note must have said.  Then he handed the empty stem back to her, which brought more peels of laughter.
Things settled down a bit during Bruce's “Theme From An Imaginary Western,” but picked up again for Brooker's dramatic "Conquistador," a much preferred replacement for "Salty Dog" from the Starr Plaza Friday night performance. The place went wild for Todd's "Hammer in My Heart," accompanied by hammering motions with his fist as he sang and played.  Todd also spent considerable time hopping around, facing Ringo and cutting up for him and for Kirke, often
approaching Ringo's bass drum.  Ringo smiled and laughed, thoroughly enjoying and responding to his antics.
Ringo's "I'm the Greatest" (“written for me by a dear friend”), was greatly loved and brought huge applause, with cheers breaking out during the song. Ringo’s obvious affection for his band mates surfaced when he went over to Gary Brooker at keyboard and gave him a hug.  The "No No Song" was up next, with Ringo commenting that (“it is the reason I'm here today”), but mentioning the irony of singing it in a club where smoking and drinking were obvious.  It did not dampen anyone's enthusiasm however and fans sang loudly along with it. "Back Off Boogaloo" was strong and again there was eager audience participation.  Ringo started the song at center
stage, but halfway through, ran back to the drums and finished it there.
Bruce’s "I Feel Free" and Kirke’s "All Right Now" allowed Bruce to once again show off his fancy bass work, and Kirke his aggressive drumming style.  All during the show, Bruce and Rundgren played off eachother's guitar work, with some really gorgeous jams that just flowed on and on.  The audience erupted again and again with unabashed admiration -- and they just kept playing as the audience just kept loving it, which brought more playing, more audience response, more playing, -- all topped off with outstanding drum work by Ringo and Kirke.  It was the pure joy of music blended with seasoned craftsmanship.  When the final chords each time rang out, you could have rung out the room as well.
Ringo was up next and asked, “What do I wanna be?” -- "I Wanna Be Your Man!" He played and sang from the kit, and the song was delivered with incredible power.  He really belted it out, the whole place rocked and Ringo received clamorous applause for his efforts. 
When Todd brought a drum out, everyone knew what was coming.  The temperature in the room was about 120 degrees at this point and "Bang on the Drum" elicited dancing, singing, clapping and thunderous applause.  The joy level in the room was nearly off the charts.
The tension was close to unbearable when Bruce slowed things down with a very dramatic rendition of "White Room."  He did bass guitar work that totally captured the audience and brought him literally to his knees as he squeezed out unbelievable and compelling sounds that took on a life of their own.  That was followed by the powerful Brooker song, "Whiter Shade of Pale" and once again, awesome guitar work by Todd and by Jack, enhanced the beautiful
keyboard work Brooker was doing.  On both songs, the audience sang and swayed, becoming thoroughly lost in the music.  Ringo joked later that he had no idea what the song was about!
Ringo came forward then and said, "You're all beautiful and I love you all." He said what a privilege it was for him to be able to play those songs and play with those players.  He added
that it was a privilege to be there to perform for us.  He was deeply moved by the depth of affection and overwhelming responsiveness of the crowd.  Brooker, Bruce, Cappello, Rundgren and Kirke, through their effusive smiling thanks at the end of the audience's applause for their songs, conveyed the same sentiment.
All through the show the significant presence of Tim Capello engaged the audience with his skills at various percussion instruments, harmonica, bongos, saxophone, piano and keyboard.  While playing keyboard, someone handed him a rose, which he stuck through his hair and left there throughout the song. When he came right up to the audience during his sax solo, they ate it up.
All of the guys were beyond smiling.  They were beaming.
When the chords for "Photograph" came up, there was a surge of love.  The crowd left their seats and moving forward with a sense of undistilled joy, sang the song with Ringo.  You could feel the waves of affection washing up on the shore of the stage.  For a crystal clear moment, it felt to me as if everyone had slipped back in time, as the song evoked in each soul present,
memories fixed forever of the incredible 60’s with all its joy and pain, laughter and tears, etched like a photograph of priceless memories in every heart.  Remembering how he had leaned over to touch hands at the Star Plaza performance of "Photograph," I knew I had to seize the moment and moved to the front of the stage, only a few feet ahead and extended my arm.  Seconds later
as I smiled up at Ringo, I felt his warm hand firmly clasp mine.  It was for me a moment of pure joy, shared with a man I have loved and respected for 35 years.  When "Photograph" ended, incredible applause blended with a multitude of celebration sounds, reaching a deafening roar.  Ringo and the band reemerged for the encore, Ringo wearing a white towel around his neck which he hurled into the crowd.  Kirke followed with a couple of drumsticks.  With the start of "You're Sixteen," a beloved favorite, the audience broke out anew with extravagant applause, singing and clinging to every moment, knowing that the moment was drawing to a close.
When "With a Little Help," began, a party broke out all through the club, with singing, dancing and everyone joining Ringo in the traditional jumping jacks at the end of the song.  How anyone on stage or off had energy left for jumping jacks is a question I can’t answer, but there we were, celebrating what everyone on stage and in the audience knew was an evening touched by
magic.  Ringo left the stage to a lavish applause-filled, earsplitting sendoff.  Then Brooker, Bruce, Kirke, Rundgren and Cappello group hugged and continued to soak up the continuing thunderous ovation.  Ringo had laughingly referred to Todd earlier as "The one who'll sign anything," and true to his words, Todd stopped to scribble his autograph twice for fans, as he and the others shook hands with the audience and left the stage.  Spotting Ringo’s water bottle sitting on a piece of equipment in front of his bass drum, I asked for and received from someone on the breakdown crew, a precious souvenir of an unforgettable night ... ... the night Ringo and his All Starr Band put on one of the greatest shows on earth.
Ringo, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
~ Pam Dupre of Mundelein Illinois

Detroit, Mich. - Palace Theatre - March 1

My girlfriend, Penny, and I just returned from seeing Ringo and the All Starr's in great form in Detroit. As Ringo put it during the show; " The band is really LOOSE tonight. I don't know about you, but we're really loose!" The entire evening was loose and magical.
  Before the show, the pre concert music featured Harry Nilsson (God Bless Him) singing Daybreak and Coconut. Any fan of Ringo's should know that Ringo and Harry made a movie together called Son of Dracula which featured Daybreak, so I thought that was a nice touch. It's nice that Harry was remembered, however subtle.
  The show started with It Don't Come Easy and Act Naturally. It was a typical All Starr structure in that Ringo would play a few, and then each star gets his spotlight. Ringo played 12 songs during the course of the evening including Back Off Boogaloo. This was the fourth All Starr show I'd seen and the first where he featured that song. I was more than pleased. Other
highlights from Ringo included; Boys, I Wanna Be Your Man, Yellow Submarine, With A Little Help From My Friends, I'm The Greatest ("written for ME by an old friend, God Bless Him"), Photograph and You're Sixteen. He played the arrangement of Love Me Do from Vertical Man and the No No Song, which he noted that the sentiment of the song was the main reason that he was able to be here. If George Harrison preached spiritual health in the ''70's, Ringo is promoting
the virtues of physical health and well being in the '90's. Ringo even did some jumping jacks onstage.
  Speaking of jumping; Todd Rundgren was in rare form. During Bang On The Drum, Runt was jumping around like a lunatic on holiday and having a great time. After Drum and it's deserved ovation, Todd broke into a chorus of the Queen song We Are The Champions, apeing Freddie Mercury's love for over the top opera.
  Simon Birke played the Bad Company ode to the Beatles and pop stars in general; Shooting Star, early in the show.. His highlight for me came later during the Free song; All Right Now. Penny said to me while both drummers were playing in synch; "Look at that. Simon has to really work to match Ringo. Now look at Ringo. He makes it look so effortless." We both agreed that Ringo can teach Master's classes in drumming. In fact, his is still the standard that other rock drummer are measured by, be it Simon Birke, Jim Keltner or even Zak.
  Speaking of masters, Jack Bruce and Gary Brooker. What a pleasure and privledge it was to hear those two. Brooker did his sea shanty A Salty Dog. He reminded me in a way of Mose Allison. Allison, like Brooker, dosen't have anything to prove anymore, they both do what they do, like any old professional preforming at his craft. You don't ask a craftmen to change, you
sit back, shut up and watch them work. This was so true during A Whiter Shade of Pale. This gentle song got the biggest response of the night. This is why these classic rock fans come back to these '60's guys again and again, unlike fans of Disco or Heavy Metal or any genre that depends of volume and distractions to convey it's message. This stuff is the classical music of today. Brooker could play that song in someone's living room on just a Hammond organ and no backing and leave not a dry eye in the house.
   Finally, Jack Bruce. Sunshine of Your Love (with Todd Rundgren doing a dead on perfect Clapton in voice and guitar), I Feel Free and White Room. If you can imagine how good that sounded---believe me it was better. Bruce, Todd Rundgren and Ringo with Simon Birke on second drums. I looked at that and imagined what it must have been like to have actually seen Cream. (Maybe Clapton and Baker and Bruce will reform. Yeah, and maybe George will tour again. Oh well, I can dream, can't I?)
As I looked around the auditorium, I noticed a pack of about ten teenage female fans in Ringo T-Shirt's and We Love Ringo signs held high. I thought how wonderful that this music has reached so many young people. They went nuts over Ringo singing Boys, just as young girls of that age must have in 1965 when that other All Star band played on these shores. I could even hear them screaming, and they were half the auditorium away-Amazing!
   We left feeling very satisfied. I am looking forward to the All Starr box set. Hopefully,some of this stuff can be mixed and mastered in time for inclusion. It was wonderful. If this tour is coming to your town, walk, don't run to the show. Have Fun.
~ David Moore

I found it very hard to get to sleep last night trying to come down from the energy of the CONCERT...
Wow-I do believe that all  people involved in artist development, record production, and music development should learn a lesson from these masters who share their talents (Ringo and the others) in this show.
I saw people young and old enjoying musicians that know how to play musical instruments the way they are meant to be played.
If you are into artist development-and you are reading this...Please see this show and then sell us something besides  most of the shit you are selling...
People loved Ringo and the band because they played well -- not just because they have all had their brush w/greatness.  We need to have more bands like this one to listen to. 
Thank you, gentlemen for a fine evening of great music and entertainment...
 ~ AL

I have to say I was impressed .. very impressed. It was possibly the best concert I've ever seen. Harry Connick Jr. was also great. ... but back to Ringo. The show was loud, rythmic and I should have seen it years ago. I will go again and  again. Ringo keep touring ... You are so money.
~ Phil Butler

Eureka, Calif. - Eureka Municipal Auditorium - March 4

A full-fledged party and Classic Rock Musicfest rocked the Eureka Municipal Auditorium on March 4th hosted by Mr. Ringo Starr and his outstanding All Starr Band.  I had to stop from pinching myself as if lost in a dream when Ringo walked (actually ran) out onto the stage waving his signature peace signs in the air with his fingers with the spotlight illuminating his presence there before our very eyes.  He began singing the first verse to "It Don't Come Easy" and it was true-Ringo Starr was here in the small city of Eureka, California where visits from big-named talent are far and few between.  This was a milestone for this city and all who were there knew it,
responding to Ringo with unbridled enthusiasm and energy that was simply electrifying.  This was the first time I had seen Ringo and his All Starr Band.  He was just as I expected him to be (having been a huge Beatles fan for over 30 years now), charming, easy-going, so down to earth, and remarkably witty!  Even aiming jokes at himself like when he quipped that it must be the "altitude" that was getting to the band and making them wacky. Then stopping to think where he was and quickly covering up his flub with, "Oh, wait, aren't we at sea level (which Eureka is), don't mind me, I'm just making this up as I go along."  Then while singing "Boys", he kept breaking out in laughter towards the end, apparently very amused by some off notes he sang.  Once the song finished he commented with that British accent, "I guess I have a frog stuck in me throat."  He has such a lighthearted manner and for someone with such legendary status, he doesn't appear to have a pretentious bone in his body.  I was very taken by this.
"Yellow Submarine" was the great crowd pleaser with the stage lights turned up brightly on the entire audience as a sing-along ensued.  Everyone sang joyfully, clapping along to the familiar rhythm and you could hear the sound of collective voices fill the entire auditorium.  It was one of those surreal moments in time that will leave an indelible memory forever in my mind.  I consciously stopped to take a look around me, realizing here we were, thousands of people in this room singing along to this classic Beatles' tune with none other than one of the Beatles himself.  How often do moments so grand take place!
The set list flowed perfectly with many highlights to remember.  Todd Rundgren was delightful and entertaining, both in appearance and in his guitar work.  He was barefoot in his dark blue pareo ("skirt") donning dark glasses and two-tone hair.  He blew the crowd away to extremes during what I believe was the rocking highlight of the show when the very talented Simon Kirke performed "All Right Now".  A smoking rendition where Todd reached new heights in his guitar playing, literally.  He climbed up the towering loudspeakers at the far end of the stage to the very top (like 12 ft. or more in height).  Being the tall and lanky guy he already is, he was at eye-level with the people in the balcony who rushed to get near him.  Todd continued to wail away on guitar as the people close to him reached out and were actually touching him.  He stayed there awhile, milking it for all it was worth as everyone yelled and cheered him on.  Great moment and one we'll be talking about for a long time.  The next day the local radio deejay was talking with Timmy Capello on the air about Todd's spectacle up on those speakers.  Timmy said he was doing the religious symbol of "crossing himself" as if praying Todd wouldn't lose his balance and fall, breaking his neck.
Jack Bruce also provided some show-stopping moments with his performance of "Sunshine of Your Love" and "White Room".  His bass playing was like none I've ever seen before and he has to be one of the finest players of all time.  He was very animated and prowled the stage playing his bass with a mean streak and in-your-face conviction.  The crowd was beyond itself at this point with one standing ovation after another.  After every song it seemed.
Gary Brooker gave the show its most poignant moment when he performed the ethereally beautiful and mesmerizing "Whiter Shade of Pale".  Suddenly the crowd became silent and still, reflecting on the melancholic keyboard sounds and Gary's evocative vocals.
Then there was Timmy Capello who was excellent playing the various percussion instruments and so hot on the sax.  He sat down on the edge of the stage at one point, playing a blistering sax solo that made everyone take notice of this multi-talented newest addition to the All Starr line-up.
Not to mention, the strong visual appeal he has that every woman noticed before he even played a note as Timmy is one very buff and strikingly handsome guy.  Ringo's joke about looking just like Timmy, too, when he takes his shirt off got big laughs.
Ringo delighted the crowd endlessly with both Beatles and his own songs such as "Photograph", "The No-No Song",  "I Want to be Your Man", and "Love Me Do".  I'm another one who loves his "La De Da" tune and would have loved to had heard him perform it as it's one of my very favorites of his.  Another one I missed was "Don't Pass Me By".
I was in the 13th row, which later proved to be a lucky number for me when I managed to make my way up to the very front of the stage for Ringo's two encore songs.  This was very exciting!  Everyone was up on their feet by now as Ringo sang "You're Sixteen".  As the song was nearing the end, the opportune moment arrived and I went for it.  I saw Ringo approaching my side of the stage and I went up to the edge and reached out to him, getting his attention.  He walked over to me, leaned down and smiled, then reached out with his hand grasping mine for a moment.  It felt like a dream and I will never forget it!  I was filled with the giddy sensation of having actually touched a Beatle!!  This was one special moment.  One guy had on a t-shirt
with a large photo of Ringo on the front.  He handed Ringo a pen and he signed the back of the shirt for him.  Ringo ended the show with "A Little Help From My Friends" (along with some very exuberant jumping jacks!) but no one was ready to see him and the band go.  It could have gone on another hour or more.  Those two hours went by like a flash, but I know all these good memories will live on.  Truly a night I'll always remember-thanks to Ringo and the help of his friends.
~ Debbie Barcelles

Kelseyville, Calif - Konocti Resort - March 5 & 6

Berkeley, Calif - Berkeley Theater - March 7

I saw Ringo Starr and the all star band at the Berkeley community center in Berkeley Ca. What a great show. I sat in the 4th row center from the stage. My biggest thrill that I exchanged words with Ringo while he was on stage. I have been to a total of three all star concerts over the last 8 years and by far this was his best. I hope to see more Ringo Starr and the all star bands in years to come. Thank you Ringo for all the great music you have given your fans over all the years
~ Mars Lordge

Boise, Idaho - Bank America Center - March 11

I went and saw Ringo. It was great! He pointed me out of the crowd again and again. The first time, I yelled out, "I LOVE YOU RINGO!!!!!" Then he said, "I love you too." He pointed me out many times. All in all, it was a great concert and I'm definantly going to the next one.
~ Joel A

Ogden, Utah - Dee Event Center - March 12

My wife and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary at the Ringo Starr concert at the Dee Events Center on March 12.  We went to England a few years ago and made a special effort to visit Liverpool to see where it all started.  Seeing one of the Beatles in person for the first time in our lives seemed to be a dream come true.  Ringo was truly a gentleman, showed that he really enjoyed what he does, and made a lasting impression that will last a lifetime.  The concert was outstanding and was well worth going to.  Keep the memories alive by continuing what you are doing.
~ Bruce and Debbie of Salt Lake City

Las Vegas, Nev. - The Joint - March 13

San Diego - 4th & B - March 14 & 15

Ringo appeared with his All-Starr band at 4th and B, which is a club in our Gaslamp district. This was my first experience to see a real former-Beatle and it was totally rewarding.  His band initially appeared to be taken aback to be in a REAL club with cheap drinks and all, but it was totally cool to be in a small venue with these veterans of rock n roll.  My husband (who is a Rolling Stones fan) and I were so excited to see Ringo close up and it was especially meaningful to me because Ringo featured so many songs off of the Photograph album, which was my first real "record" as a teenager.  He played "You're Sixteen..." and also "I'm the Greatest" which was a nice tip of the hat to John Lennon.  We got to go up to the stage for the end of the concert and I have to say Ringo has aged the best of all of his band and he was bouncy and handsome and a trouper through the whole show.  The other band members were also awesome musicians and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
~Lori Van Orden

Los Angeles - Universial Amphitheater - March 18

Saw Ringo and the All Stars last night at the Universal Amphitheater.  It was a good show(as usual), just as it was two years ago.  That was also it's only real shortcoming.   The set list was too much like the last outing, with only the Todd Rundgren stuff replacing the Peter Frampton songs.  Also I think Frampton's guitar playing was much better than Rundgren's, especially noticeable on the Cream material. 
Ringo's voice was in good shape and the band seemed to be having fun.  At one point in the show Ringo had some fun at the expense of Pete Best.  Someone in the front row held up a sign saying something about Pete Best, I couldn't read it, but Ringo said something like "this must be the Pete Best appreciation club", then he said that "they were sitting the  deaf section". 
Being in LA I told my wife to look for Joe Walsh to show up, and during the encore he did.  He played along on both encore songs.  Ringo said that Joe would have been an All Star this year but had other obligations that he could not mention, saying he's a member of another group, and that it was the Bee Gee's, Todd Rundgren said it was the Eagles.
It's still a mystery to me why Ringo does not do "Octopuses Garden", "Don't Pass Me By" or more from "Vertical Man" to mix things up a bit. 
~ Andrew Chess

WELL...... I SAW RINGO IN CONCERT LAST NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*****OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!*******
It was like the best thing that's ever happened to me!!!!!!!! It was so cool!!!!!!
Ok I'll give you all the details... if you're interested. =)
Ok, in the morning I did my Ringo poster.
Then at 4, I went tot eh Universal City walk in Universal City (it's like his big place with stores and stuff, and it's this huge center where the universal Amphitheater is located)
I was supposed to meet my pen pal, Ivonne. She came all the way from TEXAS too see Ringo with me!
So we met at the Hard Rock cafe, at like 4 o'clock. WE spent like 3 hours talking about the fabs and stuff, and  at around 7 we went throughout he whole city walk tot eh Amphitheater. As we were walking there were all these people in Beatle shirts. And Ivonne and I were wearing beatle shirts too. Her's had cartoon fabs on it, and mine was Hard Day's night. I also wore 5 buttons, and she wore one. =)
Ok, we both brought posters to the concert, and when we were walking in, this stupid security person said we can't bring in posters cuz they block people's views. =(. he told us to take 'em to our cars, but we just folded them and stuffed 'em in Ivonne's backpack. =) And we brought them in anyhow. HAHA!!!!!!
WE weren't sure if we could bring in cameras, so Ivonne put hers in her SOCK! And I wrapped mine in my sweater!!!! haha! Well, we were allowed to bring cameras, but that was fun. Then we both bought tour T-shirts. ANd Ivonne got a key chain.
Inside, Ivonne and I were sitting right across from each other at totally opposite sides of the room. We were sitting on the side, but it was closer tot he stage than if we were sitting  in the center.
Then RINGo came out!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!! HE WAS SO FINE!!!!!!!!! Ok, he was wearing black jeans, a tshirt, tennis shoes, and a green jacket. And of course his shades and rings...
The tour consisted of Timmy capello, who was wearing a yellow Sleeveless shirt and beige pants and kewl shoes; gary brooker who was wearing a purple beret and jacket; simon kirke who was wearing REALLY tight gray shorts... hee-hee, they were REALLY tight, and a yellow tshirt; todd rundgren, who was so psychedelic! he was wearing these funky crazy kewl bellbottoms and a colorful shirt; and jack bruce who was wearing a red shirt and I think blue jeans.
I screamed "RINGO" as loud as I could. And some other people did too, but surprisingly not many. The first some was it don't come easy. I got up of my chair for better view and these dorks behind me were all telling me to sit down, but i didn't care. if they can't see they can
get up!!!!!! I mean, it's RINGO!!!!!! how can they NOT get up?????? I mean.... they're looking at RINGO STARR!!!!!! They can sit on their fat a**es at home, but not during a RINGO concert!
The cool part was.. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! ***RINGO WAVED AT IVONNE!!!!!!!! ***cuz when it got quiet after a song she screamed "I CAME ALL THE WAY FROM TEXAS TO SEE YOU!" and Ringo turned that way, kinda shielded his eyes, and looked who said that nd then he waved at Ivonne!!!!!! It was so cool!!!!!!!! i saw him waving, and the only person standing up in the area he was waving was Ivonne! (dunno why no other idiot got up) but he
WAVED at her!!!!!
The BEST part was, I had this flashy ring that glows in he dark and stuff. It's flashes red, and looks like the ring in HELP! So i wore it to the concert, and It was all shining and stuff, and during the songs when Ringo was sitting at the drums and not walking on stage he was staring at me with my ring!!!!!! WEll, I couldn't really ell if he was staring at ME cuz of his shades, but I was the only person in my section standing up, and his face was turned my way, and I was swaying my hands in the air, and his head was kinda following my shiny ring! So he was watching me!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!
OHOHOH!!!!!!!!! Also, since we brought our posters in, we wanted to get them to Ringo. We were too scared to unwrap them during the show, but at the very end of the last song, Ivonne, who had the poster, ran up the the stage. And the security person grabbed her by the shirt, and pulled her back, but Ivonne hi them or something, and got close enough to the stage to throw our posters on it!!!!! It was so cool!!!!!!!!!!
*******IVONNE, YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!****
I tried to run up, but this security person was blocking me, and he was
too huge and strong for me to get past him. Oh well, i was pretty close
to the stage.
The whole concert was SOOOOOOOOOOO exciting!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!! I'll NEVER FORGET THAT !!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!
At the end, Ivonne and i almost killed each other with hugs!!!!!!! We were both so happy!!!! We were yelling to each other "he looked at me!!!!" and "he waved at me!!!!!" the whole time we were going back to our cars!
Our dads were laughing, an people around were staring at us. =) it was funny. And some people that went to the concert came up to us and started talking to us and asking us about us being beatles fans, and they wee all really impressed and stuff, and everyone was like "wow"
when we told 'em about our RINGO STARES AND WAVES!!!
OH MY GOD IT WAS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS THE BEST THING
EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
**I LOVE RINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!**           **RINGO FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**
Go Ringo,
~ Anna

Reno - Silver Legacy Casino - March 19 & 20

It was great!! Ringo looked wonderful in black jeans and T-shirt with a burgundy velvet trimmed
jacket and white tennis shoes. (you can tell I'm into clothes). Ringo opened with "It don't come easy."
The mix was great, Sunshine of Your Love, Whiter Shade of Pale, All Right Now, White Room, Bang the Drum. Ringo did The Greatest from his first solo album and Love Me Do from Vertical Man. He introduced that as a song he also did when he was with another band. He sang Boys while at the drums and still shook his head the way he used to when his hair was longer.
Todd Rundgren, Simon Kirke, Gary Brooker, Jack Bruce and Timothy Capello all shone as true starrs! A few audience members came up to the stage and presented Ringo with flowers
which he took and waved in the air. Then other people gave him scarves, one long white one with sparkles he put around his neck. But then people began to give him anything just to go up to the stage edge. He got postcards, signs, buttons and a cheap wristwatch. Finally he said, "Did someone announce it is time to give all your junk to Ringo?" He had a great sense of humor and after closing, came backout to a standing ovation and did Yellow Submarine and All You Need is Love.
It was a good setting, as the room was not too large, so you felt much closer to him. I was in the 11th row. Also photography was allowed so I was able to take some pictures. I was there to celebrate my @#$%th birthday and see Ringo for the 3rd time in my life. I saw his all Starr Band
in August '95 when they were in Concord, California and in Detroit, Michigan in 1964 as an elementary school kid who screamed her lungs out and picked up a dirty jelly baby which I was sure one the Fab Four had stepped on.
~ Liane

I saw both shows at the Silver Legacy Casino in Reno Nevada March 19th and 20th.  The venue held about 1500 people and was sold out both nights. 
The accoustics were harsh due to the low ceiling but perhaps we were getting a more authentic sound similar to what one might have heard if they'd played the Cavern Club. Seating was provided on what seemed like banquet dining seats, and very close at that. There were no bad seats save the one behind the man in Section D, Row 14, seat 5 on Sat. night. He wore a huge cowboy hat the whole show. (Really Rude!)  Other than that it was nice to be so close to the stage. The casino was a nice place to see the show- drinks were allowed in, no body searches. Very civilized. People were able to approach the stage for photos most of the time.  The band was fit and trim- Ringo seemed very relaxed.  Jack Bruce was all over the stage, hammering his bass. He looked to be in better shape physically than last year.  Rundgren wore his dress (a sleveless jumper) the second night. Each member was in great voice, sounding just like the original versions of their hits.  The mood Friday seemed looser/ the band goofier as opposed to being really tight Saturday night.   Saturday night, Ringo wore a bright red coat with black buttons reminiscent of a ringmaster.  I got a smile out of that as I was wearing my bright red leather jacket.  During the last 2 songs, people rushed the stage to sing and dance down in front. I was probably within 10 feet of the stage at that point.  The encore on at least one night was "A
Little Help From My Friends".  ("All You Need Is Love" wasn't played either night.) I didn't keep a play list but did hear Yellow Submarine. Backoff Boogaloo wasn't played, nor was Shooting Star, Conquiestador, nor I Wanna Be Your Man. "Love Me Do" was played, but it was not as done on Vertical Man- it was more akin to the original version, with Tim C. playing the harmonica. 
Like most people, I would have liked hearing more Vertical Man. Ringo puts on a great show with the All Stars every time. This was my husbands first Ringo show and even he loved it. This is the second & third show I've been to. I hope next time the Eugene Oregon Hult Center
gets back on the tour- it's a fantastic concert hall and the accoustics were great last year when Ringo played there. 
- Liz Snyder

Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band gave two concerts at Reno's Silver Legacy, on March 20 and 21. Both shows were sell-outs.
As always, Ringo came out to his hit, "It Don't Come Easy," which rocked at a slightly faster tempo than the original. It was immediately apparent that this version of the All-Starr band--especially with Todd Rundgren's crunching chords and wailing guitar licks--was going to supply a harder edge and drive than previous incarnations. Ringo then introduced Gary Brooker,
who proved that to indeed be the case with an incendiary performance of his Procul Harem hit, "Whiskey Train," which featured some fabulous work from Rundgren and bassist Jack Bruce. Ringo, at ease and affable, then passed the microphone to Bruce, who brought the house down with "Sunshine of Your Love," complete with a scalding, extended bass solo jam. The audience gave him a well-deserved standing ovation, after which Ringo, with just a hint of self deprecation, said, "Well, I guess its back to me!"  Simon Kirke was at the drum kit with Ringo, playing a set which was almost a carbon copy of Ringo's, complete with double hi-hats. Kirke and Ringo had a great chemistry, in complete sync throughout the show and exchanging smiles and nods when they pulled off an especially nice fill. Kirke led the band through his classic rocker, "All Right Now," which again brought the crowd to its feet. Rundgren took his solo turns as well, including a manic number on the timbale, which he admitted to writing while "altitude sick." However,
his fabulous guitar riffs contributed the most to the show.
I can't say enough about Jack Bruce's work. Thirty years after the break-up of Cream, Bruce has only grown in technical mastery of his instrument. Playing a fretless bass, his intonation was dead-on the entire show, and his melodic, pulsing bass lines drove the band with a relentless
energy. His solos were awe-inspiring, using the entire range of the instrument. And of course, his vocals were delivered with a power and character that sounded even richer, if possible, than the originals.
Ringo was in good voice, and sang most of his hits. But it his drum work that continues to amaze. While Ringo never has been the type of drummer to play extended solos or wild fills, I know of no other rock drummer who can lay down a beat so appropriate to a song, and play as tastefully. When he does add a fill, it is never too much, but rather tailored to the song and not just to "show off." Like any great drummer, he makes it look easy; of course, it isn't, as anyone who has tried to copy a Ringo drum part knows.
Of course, Ringo worked the crowd in his good-natured manner. When he noticed a mother with her daughter taking a picture, he walked to the edge of the stage, asked a casino employee to take the picture, and posed with the two delighted fans, all in the middle of a song. On another occasion, a fan came to the stage and gave him a silk rose, to which Ringo quipped, "She probably took it out of her room!" Throughout the show. he bantered with the audience, shook hands, joked, and in general seemed to be truly enjoying himself. There were two encores: "Yellow Submarine," and "With A Little Help From My Friends," which Ringo led as a huge sing-a-long. It was wonderful to see the multi-generational audience, from slot-machine grannies in pant suits to twenty-somethings with nose rings all joining together in the Beatles's ode to peace and love...virtues Ringo, as he left the stage, asked the audience to carry out into their lives.."Because it's the only way."
~ Mark Osten

Lake Tahoe - Harrah's Casino - March 21

Tunica, Miss. - Horshoe Casino - March 25

Jo and I caught Ringo and the All Starr Band at the Tunica, Miss. show.
 The music took us back to a very special place.  Ringo's music strikes chords that are in perfect tune with the universe.
 Peace and love--that's what it's all about.
 Rock on.
~ Wayne Sims

Ringo's March 25th concert at the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, Mississippi marked our thirteenth All Starr Band concert attendance since Ringo inaugura