Peace, love & Ringo; a Beatle & his all-star band please Pittsburgh crowd
PITTSBURGH ? Though he had a big ol' arena to work with Saturday, Ringo Starr kept things basic in Pittsburgh, and that worked fine.
No fancy lights, no nostalgic video projections, no elaborate stage design ? just a Beatle and his truly All-Starr Band ? playing the hits well, and with enthusiasm, as they brought joy to fans.
After three pandemic postponements from the concert's original June 2020 date, the Fab fourth time was a charm. Starr started at 7:31 p.m. sharp, positioned at the center stage mic, singing the rockabilly "Matchbox" during which he shifted his weight from foot-to-foot, finishing the song with his first salvo of two-fingered peace signs.
Next came Starr's '70s solo hit "It Don't Come Easy," with his voice sounding a little uneven in spots, though he just needed to warm up, and soon was singing solidly and distinctively as fans remember and adore.
Starr set up the "Rubber Soul" track "What Goes On" reminding spectators it's the only Beatles song on which he shares a songwriting credit with John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Starr joked about how he initially suggested his name be given top billing, to which he claims Lennon and McCartney replied, "Sod off" (a British slang term for "get out of here.")
Starr then took a seat behind the higher-elevated of two drum kits, flanked to his left by veteran All Starr Band member Gregg Bissonette on a separate drum kit, as another band member, '70s rock star Edgar Winter, took a turn at the mic on one of his big hits, "Free Ride."
Throughout the night, Starr and Bissonette drummed in lockstep fashion, stopping and starting in perfect unison as All Starr members took rotating turns in the spotlight.
That meant Colin Hay handled lead vocals and played electric guitar on his Men at Work '80s hits "Down Under," "Overkill" and "Who Can It Be Now?"
Hay's vocal range impressed.
Toto guitarist Steve Lukather unleashed searing guitar work, along with vocals, on "Rosanna," "Hold The Line" and "Africa," the latter of which fans saluted by waving their lit-up cellphones.
The arena's upper bowl was curtained off and closed, and even the lower bowl had chunks of empty seats. While this crowd would not have fit in Heinz Hall ? the last Pittsburgh venue Starr headlined in 2018 ? it was unusual seeing PPG Paints Arena only half full. Though largely a seated crowd, fans cheered and boogied in their chairs in enjoyment of the music.
Scotsman bassist Hamish Stuart represented his days with Average White Band on funky rockers "Pick Up The Pieces," "Cut The Cake" and the weak link of the set, "Work to Do."
When his turn in the rotation came up again, Winter reminded the crowd that in the restlessness of his youth, he had invented the portable, shoulder-strapped keyboard, which he demonstrated the value of on "Frankenstein," his classic-rock instrumental. Two-handed swinging that keyboard to and fro, just a few feet above the ground, Winter conjured the song's spacey effects. As "Frankenstein" continued, Winter switched to saxophone, then auxiliary drums, doing a give-and-take percussion bit with Bissonette who unleashed a solo with snippets of The Beatles' "The End" from "Abbey Road," The Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman" and Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" (a shout-out to his days drumming for David Lee Roth.)
The All-Starr's secret weapon was Warren Hamm, who supplied sax and other woodwinds, secondary keys and some choice vocals (including the high notes on Toto's "Hold The Line.") A valuable jack of all trades.
Starr let the band go on without him for a few songs before returning center stage and charming the crowd with his singing on the Beatles' crowd-pleasing "Octopus's Garden," and the spry rocker "Back Off Boogaloo," which halfway through he went back to his drums while still singing.
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A sage entertainer like Starr knows how to construct a setlist that ends strong. The homestretch momentum kicked up a notch as he sang the early '60s Lennon-McCartney rocker gem "I Wanna Be Your Man." Next came Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" with Winter on lead vocals (dedicating the song to his late brother, guitar ace Johnny Winter. Though a force on guitar all night, Lukather seemed to reach an extra level of exuberance on that seminal rock 'n' roll song.
Starr sounded in vintage form singing the final three songs; his rousing hit "Photograph," his fun and trusty romp through Buck Owens' Bakersfield twang, "Act Naturally," and the Beatles' beloved "With a Little Help From My Friends" bringing smiles befitting the 82-year-old Liverpudlian's peace-and-love mantra.
A Starr-y, Starry-y night to remember warmly.
Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Peace, love & Ringo; a Beatle & his all-star band please Pittsburghers