A 'STARRY NIGHT' WITH RINGO

For close to two hours, Ringo Starr hardly looked his age at 85 as he sang, drummed, danced and even did jumping jacks before a sellout audience at the 1,800-seat Venetian Theater here in the course of an 11-show, six-city US fall tour.

- By JOAQUIN HENSON

Ringo Starr sings and drums to two songs.

Ringo is in the 36th year of performing with the 16th edition of his All-Starr Band, a gathering of rock legends from past decades to add spice to a varied set list. In all, Ringo sang 12 songs, two of which he sat behind his Ludwig drum kit. The other 10 songs on the repertoire were delivered by Men At Work's Colin Hay, Toto's Steve Lukather and Average White Band's Hamish Stuart.

Throughout the concert, Ringo kept flashing the peace sign, raising two fingers to remind fans what he has been all about from his early days with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes to The Beatles years and to the solo era dating back to 1970 up to today.

The shindig began exactly at 8:30 p.m. with Ringo belting out Honey Don't, a Carl Perkins composition from 1964's “Beatles For Sale” album. Wearing shades and a round-neck black T-shirt with an emblazoned peace symbol, he then did It Don’t Come Easy, a 1971 single that reached No. 4 in the US and UK charts.