Ringo Starr continues to prove that his love for live performance is as strong as ever with his Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band tour. The iconic drummer is joined by a stellar lineup of musical legends, including Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Hamish Stuart, Warren Ham, Buck Johnson, and Gregg Bissonette. The band is set to embark on a series of fall tour dates, kicking off in Chicago and featuring a special multi-show residency in Las Vegas at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. As Ringo himself says, “Well, nobody loves to tour. We have to tour to get the pleasure of playing for people. I love people in… you know, I just love playing live.” For Buck Johnson, sharing the stage with these legends is “a dream come true for me… It’s more than just music, it’s almost spiritual.”
The All Starr Band: More Than Just Music
When Ringo first started putting the band together, he simply “started just calling friends… And nobody said no, it was so far out that I had to stop, because there would have been 20 people on stage.” He adds, “From that day, I’ve loved the all-stars.” Hamish Stuart finds the gig to be a “blast” and says, “It’s a great gig for me, because I get to play bass most of the time, which is my favorite thing to do.” The band members’ collective joy is what keeps their performances fresh and full of energy. As Ringo says, “I love to play, and I know this band loves to play… we’re blessed that we’re playing.” Gregg Bissonette adds to this, noting that the audience gives love back, which is “so energizing.” Steve Lukather sums it up, saying, “This is the greatest job on planet Earth. Everybody in the world would want to have our job.”
The band is set for a special residency at The Venetian in Las Vegas, a city whose relationship with Ringo’s has evolved over the years. He recalls his first time playing in the 60s with “the lads” and later found Vegas crowds difficult when they were more interested in dinner than the music. Now, however, he says, “It’s so great, it is Music City. I love it.” Gregg Bissonette notes how fans now travel to see them, saying, “They come to us. What a great concept!” Colin Hay’s first memory of Vegas was that it seemed “ridiculous,” but now he likes playing it because “It’s close to home.” Steve Lukather jokes, “I have zero recollection of the first time I went to Vegas.”
Ringo’s Other Creative Pursuits
STARR ART Exhibition
In a unique offering for fans, Ringo is showcasing his artistic side with the STARR ART exhibition at Animazing Art Gallery, located in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort. The show, which runs from September 5 through October 15, is his first since 2019 and marks the first time his original paintings are being publicly exhibited and sold. When asked about how painting feeds his creativity, Ringo says, “It’s just something I love to do,” and that a lot of his work is “spin art… because you can’t control it, really.” He enjoys the unpredictable nature of the medium. All artist proceeds from the exhibition will benefit his charity, the Lotus Foundation.
Beats and Threads
Ringo’s creative endeavors extend beyond music and painting. His latest book, Beats and Threads, published by Julien’s Auctions, is an extensive chronicle of his iconic drum kits and style over 70 years. Ringo notes that the book was a collaborative effort with author Gary Astridge, who is “a drum freak.” He says the idea for the book was “a nice idea, you know, Beats and Threads,” and he loved that they found old photos of him in his historic outfits. He was also thrilled to discover that he still had some of his old clothes, saying, “I thought I’d lost everything… and there was this bag on the floor, and it got the pepper suit and everything in it. It was, like, far out.” The book provides a comprehensive look into his historic drum kits and a detailed account of his unique sartorial choices throughout the decades.
