Ringo Starr of Ringo's All-Starr Band. Photo by Chyrisse. CPT_9517- — Ringo Starr of Ringo's All-Starr Band. Photo by Chyrisse.

By Wendy Hunter, Journalist, and Chyrisse Tabone, Photographer – Rock At Night, Tampa

Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band 2025 Tour, with Steve Lukather, Hamish Stuart, Buck Johnson, Warren Ham, and Gregg Bissonette – The Baycare Sound, Clearwater, Florida – June 21, 2025

Ringo Starr, when with The Beatles, received 9 Grammy Awards, an Oscar in ’71 for Best Original Song Score for the film “Let It Be,” and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series “Get Back in 2022.” He was inducted into the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in ’88 with The Beatles and solo in 2015. Starr received an Academy of Country Music Award in ’90. Sir Ringo Starr was also knighted at Buckingham Palace in 2018.

Ringo Starr of Ringo’s All-Starr Band. Photo by Chyrisse.

This event is so jam-packed with star power that I’m not sure all the highlights can be crammed into this review, but I’ll give it a try! The audience’s hum accelerated to loud chatter in anticipation of the renowned Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band at the beautiful Baycare Sound venue in Clearwater. It was a typical hot and muggy tropical evening in Florida, but the large fans above comforted us as we anxiously awaited the band. Liverpool-born Ringo Starr is well known as the drummer for The Beatles, but as a solo artist, he has also released 21 studio albums, six extended plays, and 11 live albums. There are more album versions, but let’s get on with Starr’s other accomplishments. He has published three books and appeared in 28 films, as well as numerous television docuseries and movies. A song or two from his 2025 Country album “Look Up” might even be on tap tonight. Starr is also a visual artist who is promoting peace and love on his July 7th birthday, prompting worldwide celebrations. This list is only a tidbit of Starr’s accolades. This year, Starr’s band includes Scottish Hamish Stuart (Average White Band and guitarist, bassist, singer, composer, and record producer) and Americans Steve Lukather (original lead guitarist of Toto, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer), Warren Ham (from Toto, vocalist, flutist, saxophone, harmonica, keyboardist, and percussionist), Buck Johnson (with Hollywood Vampires, Aerosmith, and Joe Perry, a vocalist, keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer), and Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth Band, Spinal Tap, and Electric Light Orchestra, drummer). What an extraordinary lineup! Unfortunately, Scottish-Austrailian Colin Hay (Men at Work, singer, songwriter, and guitarist) was unable to perform due to illness. Rock at Night wishes Hay a speedy recovery.

Steve Lukather, Warren Ham, and Ringo Starr of Ringo’s All-Starr Band. Photo by Chyrisse.

The stage was dressed with a colorful flower-power-like backdrop and large white stars hanging from the rigging when the All-Starr Band members took the stage. Then (drum roll!) Starr himself jogged on stage, flashing his peace signs and smiles. The entire audience of roughly 4,000 was seated, while even more people stood in the grassy area, cheering and going wild with positivity. Starr opened with a bang when he grabbed a microphone and sang the rockabilly tune “Honey Don’t” with its playful lyrics about a woman sending mixed signals. Starr was dressed in black garb, featuring a silver-starred jacket and a tee-shirt peeking out, which appeared to say “Peace.” Starr, along with the audience, continued with the ’71 rock tune “It Don’t Come Easy.” Lukather on guitar and Ham on alto sax belted out the jazzy Toto tune “Rosanna” while Starr and Bissonette set the pace behind the drum kits. Next, Stuart jumped in with the guitar, and Ham’s warm sounds of the saxophone filled the funk instrumental “Pick Up the Pieces.” Starr and the ever-smiling Bissonette happily collaborated on dual drum kits, ending with a perfect, synchronized finish. The camaraderie and joy exuded by this band were evident.

Starr’s vocals were strong, and each song he sang was beloved by the listeners. I swear there was joy in his eyes and Liverpudlian voice when he referenced his past life. Starr paid homage to the rock and roll song “Boys” featured on the Beatles debut album. The audience was transfixed when he mentioned “his friend John,” who composed “I’m the Greatest.” Then, Starr rocked those vocals. Next, Lukather stepped beside Starr and played a riff or two from “Day Tripper” and “Please Please Me,” which Starr retorted to each by grabbing the fretted fingerboard and saying, “We’re not doin’ that one!” Then the audience stood, cheered, and sang along with Starr as he crooned the beloved, silly, and whimsical psychedelia song “Yellow Submarine.” And, when the familiar twang of the guitar introduced the campy, beloved ’60s pop rock “Octopus’ Garden,” Starr smiled and laughed as he sang. Most intoxicating was “I Wanna Be Your Man,” and while looking about, I spied a guy vigorously dancing alone in the aisle and several couples embracing.

While Starr went for a “cuppa’ tea,” a high point was the funk song “Cut the Cake.” The audience complied when guitarist Stuart asked them to clap (no problem there!) His guitar work, along with Ham’s powerful sax, took a mid-tune interlude featuring various riffs from famous rock and roll songs by the likes of Queen, The Beatles, Hendrix, Chicago, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin, to name a few. Johnson’s precision keyboarding and Bissonette’s dynamic and frantic drumming (with exceptional facial expressions) pulled the riffs together before the final notes of “Cut the Cake” ended. What a joy to instantly recognize each tune with only a few bars of music in my ears, as well as this fun and funky song. Another song, “Goin’ Down” by songwriter Don Nix, was highlighted by Johnson’s expressive and perfect vocals while he manned the keyboard. Starr’s new country song, “Look Up,” was inspirational, and the beloved and well-known tunes “Photograph” and “Act Naturally” were again welcomed by the concertgoers as they stood, flashed peace signs and sang along. So loved were the Toto songs “Africa” and “Hold the Line” that both were audience sing-a-longs.

Steve Lukather of Ringo’s All-Starr Band. Photo by Chyrisse.

It was a perfect concert. First, most tunes were well-known hits that the concertgoers knew and enjoyed. Thus, the music’s momentum never faltered. Also, the genres within the setlist were diverse, from country, pop, rockabilly, jazz, funk, rock’ n roll, and psychedelia, which made for an interesting mix. Starr’s vocals, either with or without his excellent drumming skills, were upbeat and inspiring, as was his unbridled energy on stage. He seemed happy to please us. Starr is part of the zeitgeist of an exceptional era, looked upon fondly by most who remember. The songs he sang, from The Beatles’ time to the present, were known and beloved. The All-Starr band was tight, worked well together, and each was a seasoned professional who clearly enjoyed making great music and loved their listeners. Then, after the Lennon/McCartney song “With a Little Help From My Friends,” the final song by John Lennon, “Give Peace a Chance,” was sung, and even more star power entered the stage. John Travolta, Robin Zander and family, and Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band were backup for the hopeful last tune. This 2025 tour marks 36 years of Ringo’s All-Starr Band tours. I’m hoping for another in 2026. How about you?