Ringo and his Current All Starrs Light up Stage at Dodge Theater
PHOENIX (Sept. 5, 2003) – When Ringo Starr stood behind the microphone with the All Starr Band at the Dodge Theater tonight and opened his show with “It Don’t Come Easy,” a listener had to wonder if that statement has much truth for him.
Starr has led a charmed life in the music business, and he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. If there is any stress in this man’s life, it doesn’t show. His happy-go-lucky stage presence is all up-beat.
We all know how Richard Starkey was selected by the Beatles to replace Pete Best when they were on the threshold of stardom in August 1962. But consider what a clever career move he made in 1989 when he decided to augment his solo act with a revolving cast of musicians who had tasted the big time with now-defunct groups.
The 2003 edition of the All Starr Band is the eighth incarnation of the concept. While it may not have the marquee sparkle of previous lineups, it brings to the listeners many radio hits that are within easy memory.
After Starr sang four of his songs, he handed over the show to the others for a few minutes. Keyboard player Paul Carrack sang the hit he had with Ace, “How Long.”
Guitarist Colin Hay brought back memories of Men At Work with “Down Under.” Then it was bassist John Waite’s turn to revive a Babys’ hit, “Isn’t It Time.” The drummer, Sheila E., took a turn with a song from her solo career, “A Love Bizarre.”
Later, Hay sang “Overkill” and “Who Can It Be Now?” and the ever-smiling Sheila E. stepped to center stage to bang out “The Glamorous Life.”
Carrack, reminding us how he has been the voice behind some monster hits, rendered “Tempted” from his days with Squeeze and “The Living Years,” a smash from Mike + The Mechanics in 1989.
Waite has a couple of No. 1 credits, and he brought back both: “Missing You,” a 1984 solo smash, and “When I See You Smile,” a 1989 million seller from Bad English. Incredibly, he sang while chewing gum.
Perhaps the unsung (literally) hero of the show was bandleader Mark Rivera. He wasn’t there to do any singing, but his instrumental support work was remarkable. If he wasn’t playing keyboards in the background, the Brooklyn, N.Y. native was playing the saxophone, flute, rhythm guitar, harmonica, congas or tambourine. This is his fourth tour with Starr.
In all, there were 26 songs for the audience of about 2,100 to enjoy.
The 63-year-old Starr included his own solo No.1 songs in this show, “Photograph” and “You’re Sixteen.” But it wasn’t just a greatest hits review. From his “Ringo Rama” album released last March he paid tribute to Elvis Presley with “Memphis In Your Mind,” and deceased band mate George Harrison with “Never Without You.”
On several songs the crowd was treated to dual drumming performances by Starr and Sheila E. Throughout the years Ringo has been an underrated drummer, seldom getting his due from critics. But make no mistake, this man is highly skilled at his craft. He doesn’t possess the raw energy of the 44-year-old Sheila E., but he does a fine job of carrying the beat in his laid-back fashion.
Perhaps that is Starr’s most endearing trait. He’s just there to enjoy his work and dig the music. With that non-threatening persona in the headliner, many sixty-somethings felt it safe to bring their grandchildren to the concert.
At one point Ringo remarked, “I’m here to have some fun. I haven’t been here all these years for the torture.”
Sure, he looked corny as he sang with methodical swaying and bopping movements. But for him, “Act Naturally” is more than a song title from his Beatle past.
Nowadays he sports a look that is light years from the 1960s. Both his hair and beard are short-cropped, and he wore dark glasses throughout the show. Like ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, he is a vegetarian, as witnessed by his slender physique.
When he introduced “Don’t Pass Me By,” a song from the Beatles’ 1968 White Album, he revealed that it was the first song he wrote that was recorded. Other Beatle songs included in the show were “Honey Don’t,” “Boys,” “Yellow Submarine” and “I Wanna Be Your Man.”
As if the adoration of the audience weren’t enough, local rock luminary Alice Cooper stepped onstage to assist in singing the encore, “With A Little Help From My Friends.”
With a tribute like that, Starr may be making another tour in the future. And he just might make Cooper a part of the next All Starr Band.
