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After many years of passing on the opportunity, I can say I've “seen” former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr (and his All-Starr Band) live on tour. I put it in quotes because he rocked the Filene Center at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. If you've never sat on the lawn at the venue, count yourself lucky.
My friends and I were stuck in the back corner of the venue. The amphitheater's structure looks like the Tower of Terror from Disney World. For some reason, they built it so that the descending roof blocks anyone in these back corners from seeing the stage.
So, I got to watch Starr on a video screen. Still, I got to hear him play through his greatest hits — including everything from his Beatles to his solo career — to a sold-out crowd.
Was it as epic as a Paul McCartney concert? No, but almost no artist can top his three-hour extravaganza. Starr and the All Starr Band put on a tight two-hour show that'll have you thinking, Wait, this guy wrote that song? on more than one occasion.
That's because the All-Starr Band, which used to feature the likes of Joe Walsh, Clarence Clemons, Slash, and Peter Frampton back in the day, is filled with lesser-known names.
The All-Starr Band
I don't mean to dismiss them; the All-Starr Band features Toto singer Steve Lukather, who probably gets the most time to shine aside from Starr. They perform rousing renditions of “Africa” and “Rosanna.”
Other members, such as the Average White Band's Hamish Stuart (who also previously toured with Paul McCartney) and Men at Work's Colin Hay, also get to perform some of their hits.
But the show is still about Starr, whose career (including songs the Beatles covered) makes up over half of the setlist. The show opens with “Honey Don't,” which the Fab Four famously covered on their Beatles for Sale album, and ends with “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
Throughout the show, Starr also pays homage to the late John Lennon. He first plays “I'm the Greatest,” which Starr notes was written by Lennon.
It may have been written by the “Imagine” singer, but it sure sounds like a Ringo Starr song. “I'm the greatest, and you better believe it, baby!” he sings at one point, belting, “All I wanna do is boogaloo!” at another.
Embracing his Beatles history
When the Beatles broke up, McCartney hid from his legacy with the group. He didn't start regularly playing Beatles songs during his concerts until the late '80s.
Whereas Starr fully embraces it. While introducing “Yellow Submarine,” Starr teased playing a song by the Fab Four. Lukather then began playing the intros to “Day Tripper” and “Please Please Me” before finally settling on “Yellow Submarine.”
My ears could have been deceiving me, but it also sounded like Lukather infused bits of “Tomorrow Never Knows” into “Look Up,” the third single from Starr's latest album.
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I have to give Starr credit: his voice is still in top shape. He still sounds like his younger Beatles self when singing songs like “Act Naturally” and “Octopus's Garden.”
The All-Starr Band does a good job of bringing these songs to life again. The arrangements are familiar, but Lukather remains the highlight for his work on the guitar solos of these songs.
One expected feature of Starr's concerts is his knack for Taylor Swift-like intros. He would introduce most songs with a pun of some kind. For example, he introduced “Photograph,” arguably his best non-Beatles song ever, by saying he wished he had a camera.
Still, I have to forgive him; it's probably difficult to still make these songs interesting when you have been playing them for 60 years.
Should you see Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band on tour?
Overall, this concert is what I'd expect a Traveling Wilburys tour to look like. Ringo Starr, the top-billed artist of the tour, is the focal point, but the All-Starr Band gets to round out the setlist by showcasing their greatest works, too.
I would recommend researching the venue before going, though. He plays a lot of amphitheaters, and I wouldn't wish my viewing experience on others.
It's still cool to say I've seen Ringo Starr in concert. He may not have the hits worthy of a three-hour show like McCartney, but he makes do with what he's got.
Starr made a living off being steady. He wasn't the most innovative drummer, and he certainly didn't have the most expansive vocal range or top songwriting abilities, but he is still performing at a high level at 84 years old.
Maybe he really does need a little help from his friends.
