Right in the middle, we had Bissonette with a spirited drum solo which featured many instantly recognizable drum hooks from songs like The Beatles’ “Come Together,” “YYZ” from Neal Peart and Rush, “Walk This Way” from Aerosmith, “Ticket to Ride” from the Beatles, “We’re An American Band” by Grand Funk Railroad, “Honky Tonk Woman” by the late Charlie Watts and The Rolling Stones before heading back to finish up “Frankenstein.” Add to that the duelling sax parts with Warren Ham and it was the ultimate ’70s vibe. Winter alternated between wearing his keyboard, and his saxophone, and playing his drum kit along with Bissonette. ![]() Starr then took a break and let the All Starr’s take over the stage with Edgar Winter’s magnum opus instrumental “Frankenstein.” It was 12 minutes of pure musical power. “Yellow Submarine” had Starr on lead vocals and also leading the dancing fans in a sing-a-long. Starr on the kit and lead vocals for The Shirelles cover of “Boys” was a stand-out, with his relaxed but powerful presence. “Overkill” and “Who Can it Be Now” came along later. Keyboards can do it, but the real thing is so much better. Colin Hay from Men At Work kicked off his band’s classics with “Down Under.” The superb flute work from Warren Ham was on point. Hamish Stuart from Average White Band was up next with “Pick Up The Pieces,” with “Cut the Cake” and The Isley Brothers cover of “Work To Do” coming up. “Hold the Line” and “Africa” were up later on. Steve Lukather’s first of three Toto tracks throughout the set was their hit “Rosanna.” We were only five songs into the set and already the sheer talent on stage was shining bright. And watching the timekeeper from the Beatles do what he so masterfully has done all our lives just never gets old. Watching both drummers, each with their own unique styles, playing in perfect unison was a treat for sure. This was also the first time Starr boarded the kit for dual drumming duties with Gregg Bissonette. Starr began the show on vocals with Carl Perkins’ Matchbox, his solo classic “It Don’t Come Easy” before hitting us with the first Beatles track of the night, “What Goes On.” The first All Starr Band member hit of the night was Edgar Winter Group’s “Free Ride” with Winter on lead vocals and his enormous full-size keyboard strapped on low around his neck. While this is Ringo Starr’s gig, the setlist is also a fun romp through the entire band members’ catalogues. Steve Lukather, one of Toto’s founding members on guitar and vocals, multi-instrumentalist-singer Edgar Winter from The Edgar Winter Group, singer-percussionist-sax player Warren Ham from the bands Kansas and Toto, singer-bassist Hamish Stuart from Average White Band, singer-guitarist Colin Hay from Men at Work, and journeyman jazz-rock drummer Gregg Bissonette each handled the pieces of their past with energy and expertise. They are certified stars in their respective bands with decades of chart-topping hits under their belts. After over 60 years, he still delivers the goods onstage. As long as he can pick up those sticks, he’s got a gig. Asked about touring into their golden years, Starr answered that he’s a musician, he loves to play, he doesn’t have to retire. The press conference was held on stage with the Starr and the full band seated and taking questions live from the reporters in the room as well as via zoom worldwide. And they can reside upstairs in the hotel with convenient close proximity to the stage. As Starr commented at the band’s press conference the day before the show, they like Casino Rama’s setup, where the stage can be left fully rigged for the whole week before the tour starts, for full-out rehearsals of the new show. Ringo Starr, accompanied by his All-Starr Band, has called Casino Rama home in the week prior to starting a new tour for the past five tours. ![]() When one of two surviving members of The Beatles begins their brand new tour, it’s a must-see show. It’s not often that rock royalty comes to town.
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