The roots of Starship burrow deeply into the fertile psychedelic era that was a branch of counterculture rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s.
Starting out as Jefferson Airplane five decades ago, the band has evolved with various lineups over the years.
Along the way, it has amassed a stellar catalog of both underground-flavored gems and mainstream pop-chart hits.
Starship featuring Mickey Thomas rocks Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich., at 9 p.m. Eastern time Saturday.
In 1979, Thomas joined what was then Jefferson Starship, becoming its lead vocalist.
Success came quickly with the release that year of the hard-driving “Jane,” which cracked the Top 15 of Billboard’s pop chart.
“That was the first single after I joined the band,” Thomas said in a recent phone interview. “That was the first song we put out, and it really set the tone for what was then the new Jefferson Starship.”
The original incarnation of Jefferson Starship began to truly take flight in the mid-1970s on the strength of the 1975 multiplatinum album “Red Octopus,” which featured original Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin.
Jefferson Airplane’s lasting stature as a subversive force from San Francisco in the ’60s provides Thomas’ band with a historical anchor while on tour.
“We do acknowledge the whole history of the band,” the 66-year-old Thomas said. “We do go back and pay homage to the earlier version of Jefferson Starship and to Jefferson Airplane.”
Though steeped in rich history, Starship moved forward with the 2013 studio album “Loveless Fascination,” which used the talents of producer Jeff Pilson, Foreigner’s bassist, who also played for Dio.
Thomas has lauded Pilson for instilling a “harder edge” to Starship’s sound.
Its earlier incarnation -— Jefferson Starship -— established itself as a more potent commercial force than the vaunted Jefferson Airplane.
Although a classic-rock staple, Jefferson Airplane — which formed in 1965 — cannot match Jefferson Starship in terms of hit singles.
Jefferson Starship scored its first success with the 1975 soft-rock gem “Miracles.”
That was followed by “With Your Love,” “Count on Me” and “Runaway” — all Top 15 hits in the last half of the ’70s.
In the 1980s, Thomas’ band served up a string of accessible pop-rock songs that boasted solid sales, starting with 1981’s rambunctious “Find Your Way Back.”
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That chart success was followed by “Be My Lady,” “Winds of Change,” “No Way Out,” “It’s Not Over (‘Til It’s Over)” and three chart-toppers, starting with 1985’s “We Built This City,” the first smash song under the band’s Starship moniker.
“Sara” and the anthem-like “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” then made their treks to the No. 1 spot.
Two of those chart-topping tunes teamed Thomas up with Grace Slick, lead vocalist for Jefferson Airplane.
“Grace and I had a couple of duets with ‘We Built This City’ and ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,'” said Thomas, a resident of Palm Desert, Calif.
In concert, Starship recalls the Jefferson Airplane era, which peaked from a commercial standpoint in 1967 — the “Summer of Love” year.
Starship’s current female vocalist helps salute Slick’s best moments with Jefferson Airplane.
“Stephanie Calvert and myself do a medley in the show that’s a kind of historical tribute to the band,” Thomas said. “Stephanie performs a couple of Grace Slick’s most notable songs, ‘White Rabbit,’ ‘Somebody to Love.'”
An interesting nugget that is slipped into shows is a bluesy Top 10 song from 1976 that showcased Thomas’ lead vocals.
“I include ‘Fooled Around and Fell in Love’ from my Elvin Bishop band days,” said Thomas, who plays a bit of acoustic guitar in concert.
“I strum a few chords here and there,” he related.
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance writer.
Starship featuring Mickey Thomas
Where: Silver Creek Event Center, 11111 Wilson Road, New Buffalo, Mich.
When: 9 p.m. EST Nov. 26
Tickets: $25 and $45; minors must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older
Information: 866-494-6371, www.fourwindscasino.com