Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band perform at the Masonic in San Francisco on June 11, 2023. Gary Chancer/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — Ringo Starr had a smart idea when he started his All-Starr Band in the late ’80s. Rather than solely covering the songs his former bandmates sang in…

Kansas, courtesy. Over the course of its five decades, prog rocker group Kansas has experimented with just about all the stage production gimmicks. The band, which got its start in Topeka, Ka. in 1973, has tried lasers, pyrotechnics and even a stunt so dangerous that KISS passed it up. Kansas…

E-40 throws out the first pitch at a game between the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park in San Francisco on June 9, 2023. Nate McKinley/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — East Bay rapper E-40 threw out the first pitch and was the star guest at Oracle Park…

Seal performs at Paramount Theatre in Oakland on June 6, 2023. Chloe Catajan/STAFF. OAKLAND — Toward the end of his set at The Paramount Theatre on Tuesday, Seal walked out into the crowd. Standing on the armrests of seats, the British crooner sang “Kiss From a Rose” as he…

Melanie Martinez performs at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on June 6, 2023. Derek Fisher/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — A few thousand camera phones shot into the air at the utterance of simple phrase, played along with a recorded video, to open Melanie Martinez’s sold-out show at Bill…

Noel Gallagher performs with the High Flying Birds at Concord Pavilion in Concord, Calif. on June 6, 2023. Nate McKinley/STAFF. CONCORD, Calif. — It was “Garbage” written at the top of the marquee, but Tuesday’s concert at Concord Pavilion may as well have been a double bill as Shirley…

K.Flay performs at Hard Rock Live in Las Vegas on April 28, 2023. Photos: Kara Robinson/The Gathering. LAS VEGAS — With a potential end to her music career dead ahead, K.Flay had a choice to make: Take it over the cliff or swerve hard and give it another go. The…

MAMAMOO performs at UBS Arena in in Elmont, New York on May 16, 2023. Photo: Dennis DeSilva. Photography access was not granted at the Oakland show. OAKLAND —The Bay Area debut of K-pop quartet Mamamoo at Oakland Arena offered up plenty of bombast and confetti, but the Korean group…

Red Hot Chili Peppers perform at BottleRock Napa Valley at the Napa Valley Expo on May 28 2023. Nate McKinley/STAFF. NAPA —The final day of a music festival often starts with relaxed vibes. Attendees at BottleRock on Sunday laid out blankets and took advantage of the mild weather. Many…

Lizzo performs at BottleRock Napa Valley at the Napa Valley Expo on May 27, 2023. Steve Carlson/STAFF. NAPA — The impact was quick, if not immediate. The tension and excitement had been building, people jockeying for position and moving in as close to the stage as they could. With…