Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band Live at Jack Breslin Student Events Center, East Lansing – 14 May 1997
Wednesday 14 May 1997 | Live Performance | Jack Breslin Student Events Center, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
On the evening of Wednesday 14th May 1997, Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band took to the stage at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. It was the 13th show of a 30-date US tour that ran from April to June 1997 — and the fourth incarnation of the All-Starr Band concept that Ringo had launched in 1989.
The Jack Breslin Student Events Center
The Jack Breslin Student Events Center — known locally as the Breslin Center — is the primary indoor arena on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing. Opened in 1989, it has a capacity of around 14,800 and serves as the home of the MSU Spartans basketball teams as well as a major concert and events venue for the mid-Michigan region.
East Lansing sits immediately east of Lansing, the state capital of Michigan, approximately 85 miles northwest of Detroit. The Breslin Center was a natural stop on the All-Starr Band’s Midwest swing, positioned between the Milwaukee show on 13 May and the Atlanta date on 16 May.
The Fourth All-Starr Band
The 1997 All-Starr Band was the fourth edition of Ringo’s rotating ensemble concept, which he had first assembled in 1989. The premise was simple and effective: Ringo would headline, backed by a band of well-known musicians who would each perform their own hits alongside the Beatles and Ringo Starr material. The result was a greatest-hits revue of unusual depth, with multiple lead vocalists and a setlist that ranged across decades of rock history.
The 1997 lineup was one of the strongest the All-Starr Band had fielded:
- Ringo Starr — vocals, drums, percussion
- Peter Frampton — guitar, vocals
- Jack Bruce — bass guitar, keyboards, guitar, vocals
- Gary Brooker — keyboards, organ, vocals
- Mark Rivera — saxophone, guitar, organ, keyboards, percussion, vocals
- Simon Kirke — vocals, drums
Peter Frampton had been one of the biggest live acts in the world in the mid-1970s, with Frampton Comes Alive! (1976) remaining one of the best-selling live albums of all time. Jack Bruce was a founding member of Cream, one of the most influential rock trios in history. Gary Brooker had fronted Procol Harum and written ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ — one of the most recognisable songs of the 1960s. Simon Kirke had been the drummer in Free and Bad Company. Mark Rivera, a multi-instrumentalist who had worked with Billy Joel, was the All-Starr Band’s most consistent member across multiple tours.
The presence of Jack Bruce gave the East Lansing show a particular edge: the setlist included ‘Sunshine of Your Love’, ‘Theme for an Imaginary Western’, ‘I Feel Free’, and ‘White Room’ — four Cream classics performed by one of their original members. The show also included an impromptu ‘Happy Birthday’ and ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow’ for Bruce, whose birthday fell around this time on the tour.
The Setlist
The 25-song set moved fluidly between Ringo’s solo and Beatles material and the individual hits of each All-Starr member — a format that kept the energy high and gave the show the feel of a genuine celebration rather than a nostalgia exercise.
- It Don’t Come Easy
- Act Naturally
- The Devil Came from Kansas (Gary Brooker)
- Show Me the Way (Peter Frampton)
- Sunshine of Your Love (Jack Bruce)
- Shooting Star (Simon Kirke)
- Boys
- Baby, I Love Your Way (Peter Frampton)
- You’re Sixteen
- Yellow Submarine
- Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Peter Frampton)
- Theme for an Imaginary Western (Jack Bruce)
- Conquistador (Gary Brooker)
- Happy Birthday to You (for Jack Bruce)
- For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow (for Jack Bruce)
- I’m the Greatest
- No No Song
- I Feel Free (Jack Bruce)
- All Right Now (Simon Kirke)
- I Wanna Be Your Man
- Do You Feel Like We Do (Peter Frampton)
- White Room (Jack Bruce)
- A Whiter Shade of Pale (Gary Brooker)
- Photograph
- With a Little Help from My Friends
The All-Starr Band Concept
Ringo had launched the All-Starr Band in 1989 as a way of returning to live performance after years away from touring. The concept — a rotating cast of rock luminaries, each performing their own material alongside Ringo’s — proved immediately popular and has continued in various forms ever since.
The 1997 edition was notable for the calibre of its lineup. Jack Bruce, in particular, was a musician of the highest order — his bass playing with Cream had been foundational to the development of hard rock, and his presence gave the All-Starr Band a musical credibility that went beyond nostalgia. Gary Brooker’s keyboard work on ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ — one of the most played songs in the history of British radio — was another highlight of the set.
For Ringo, the All-Starr Band tours served a dual purpose: they kept him active as a live performer and gave him a context in which his own considerable catalogue — ‘It Don’t Come Easy’, ‘Photograph’, ‘You’re Sixteen’, ‘No No Song’ — could be presented alongside the work of musicians he admired and enjoyed playing with.
1997 All-Starr Band Tour: Full Date List
- 28 April 1997 — Moore Theatre, Seattle
- 29 April 1997 — Cuthbert Amphitheater, Eugene
- 30 April 1997 — Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland
- 2 May 1997 — Concord Pavilion, Concord
- 3 May 1997 — Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles
- 4 May 1997 — Humphreys Concerts By The Bay, San Diego
- 5 May 1997 — Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa
- 7 May 1997 — Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Greenwood Village
- 9 May 1997 — Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont
- 10 May 1997 — Riverport Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights
- 11 May 1997 — State Theatre, Minneapolis
- 13 May 1997 — Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee
- 14 May 1997 — Jack Breslin Student Events Center, East Lansing ★
- 16 May 1997 — Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta
- 17 May 1997 — Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise
- 18 May 1997 — Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
- 20 May 1997 — Palace Theater, Myrtle Beach
- 21 May 1997 — Wolf Trap, Vienna
- 23 May 1997 — Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth
- 24 May 1997 — Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio
- 25 May 1997 — Six Flags AstroWorld, Houston
- 28 May 1997 — Bob Carpenter Center, Newark
- 29 May 1997 — IC Light Amphitheatre, Pittsburgh
- 30 May 1997 — Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston
- 31 May 1997 — Rubber Bowl, Akron
- 2 June 1997 — Mohegan Sun Event Center, Uncasville
- 3 June 1997 — PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel
- 5 June 1997 — Harbor Lights Pavilion, Boston
- 6 June 1997 — Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City
- 7 June 1997 — Jones Beach Amphitheater, Wantagh
Key Facts: 14 May 1997
- Date: Wednesday 14 May 1997
- Venue: Jack Breslin Student Events Center, East Lansing, Michigan
- Tour: Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, 1997 US Tour
- Show number: 13 of 30
- Band edition: Fourth All-Starr Band
- Songs performed: 25
- Notable: ‘Happy Birthday’ performed for Jack Bruce during the show
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Ringo Starr play East Lansing, Michigan?
Yes — Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performed at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing on 14 May 1997. It was the 13th date of a 30-show US tour.
Who was in Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band in 1997?
The 1997 lineup featured Peter Frampton (guitar, vocals), Jack Bruce (bass, keyboards, vocals), Gary Brooker (keyboards, organ, vocals), Mark Rivera (saxophone and multi-instruments), and Simon Kirke (drums, vocals), alongside Ringo on vocals, drums, and percussion.
What did Ringo Starr play at East Lansing in 1997?
The 25-song set included Ringo’s own hits (‘It Don’t Come Easy’, ‘Photograph’, ‘You’re Sixteen’, ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’), Beatles songs (‘Yellow Submarine’, ‘Boys’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’), and the individual hits of each All-Starr member, including Cream classics performed by Jack Bruce.
What is the Ringo Starr All-Starr Band?
The All-Starr Band is a rotating ensemble concept launched by Ringo Starr in 1989. Each edition features a different lineup of well-known rock musicians who perform their own hits alongside Ringo’s solo and Beatles material. The 1997 edition was the fourth incarnation of the band.
Who was Jack Bruce and why was he significant in the 1997 All-Starr Band?
Jack Bruce was a founding member of Cream — the pioneering rock trio he formed with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker in 1966. His bass playing was foundational to the development of hard rock. His presence in the 1997 All-Starr Band brought four Cream classics to the setlist: ‘Sunshine of Your Love’, ‘Theme for an Imaginary Western’, ‘I Feel Free’, and ‘White Room’.
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