Ringo's 'All Starrs' tour provided Beatles sound and more

Concert Review |

The legacy of the Beatles filled the lush grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville Saturday night, under clear, cool skies. Only one of the Fab Four was there — the ever-lovable Ringo Starr — and less than half the songs in the show were from his former band. But those were the songs the mixed crowd of young and old came to hear, and they loved them.

Starr, who turned 68 on July 7, has been doing his annual "All Starrs" tour for 10 years now, longer than he was in the Beatles. Every year the great drummer gathers veteran musicians to go out with him, each of them stars with their own hits to contribute to the show.

This year they included guitarist Colin Hay of Men at Work, singer-guitarist Billy Squier, bassist Hamish Stuart of the Average White Band, keyboardist-saxophonist Edgar Winter, keyboardist Gary Wright and top session drummer Gregg Bissonette. All were thorough pros who ably took the spotlight several times in the set.

"What's my name?" Starr asked the throng repeatedly during the show, and they roared back "RINGO" ever louder each time.

Standing onstage, he opened with "It Don't Come Easy," followed by "What Goes On," which he said was written by "Lennon, McCartney and Starkey" (Ringo was born Richard Starkey). He sang the rockabilly — and R&B-influenced "Memphis In Your Mind." Then, he got behind his drum kit to back Squier singing "Lonely Is the Night," Winter doing "Free Ride," Hay singing "Land Down Under" and Wright crooning "Dream Weaver," which he said was inspired by a book of poems given him by George Harrison.

Other non-Beatles highlights included AWB's jazzy "Pick Up the Pieces," Winter's pounding "Frankenstein," Squier's "The Stroke" and Hay's "Who Can It Be Now?"

"I always followed my heart and never missed a beat," Starr sang in the autobiographical "Liverpool 8," the title tune from his latest album. "It was cool with those boys from Liverpool." Those glory days were revived via "Act Naturally," "Yellow Submarine," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Photograph" and the song that summed up the night, "With a Little Help From My Friends."

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312, pmacdonald@seattletimes.com