Come celebrate our 30th Anniversary with us in 2026! Book this fantastic show at [email protected] ESCAPE THE JOURNEY TRIBUTE is the original authentic tribute to Journey founded by multi-instrumentalist STU SIMONE (KEYS, GUITAR & VOCALS), who has played with the singers of Journey, Foreigner, Toto, Survivor, Great White, Bullet Boys, Quiet Riot, Yngwie Malmsteen, XYZ, Love Hate, Michael Sche
nker Group, LA Guns, Montrose, Trans Siberian Orchestra, and The Sweet, among others. Stu has also played with present or former band members of Journey, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Dokken, XYZ, Dio, Foreigner, AC/DC, The Firm, Seal, Rainbow and more, and toured with 70s pop stars Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. An experienced sound engineer and keyboard programmer, Stu programmed factory keyboard sounds for Alesis as well as the Beach Boys and top Pink Floyd Tribute Which1isPink. Stu Simone played to over a half million rabid rock fans in 1999 and 2000 alone as the touring keyboardist of the re-united platinum rock headliners POISON and can also be heard on Poison's live album "Power To The People" and Rikki Rockett's "All That Glitters." After performing in some of Los Angeles's top original rock bands, including Heaven & Earth and LA Rocks, which featured future Journey Vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, Stu went on to form ESCAPE in 1996 when Tribute Bands were a new thing. After three decades and hundreds of ESCAPE gigs in over two dozen states from New York to Florida to Washington to California, Stu can honestly say that today's line-up is the best lineup in Escape history. DAVE ALCANTAR (LEAD VOCALS) has the look and the sound of classic Steve Perry that takes us all back in time to those special songs from Journey that we all fell in love with from the good ole days. Dave is a seasoned professional vocalist with over four decades of experience performing throughout Southern California, known to fans as “The Journey Guy,” Over the course of his career, Dave has performed alongside an impressive lineup of legendary musicians, including original Journey drummer Aynsley Dunbar, as well as former members of Steppenwolf, Toto, Boston, Santana, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Dave has also shared the stage with notable artists such as Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, Darren Medley of Paul Revere and the Raiders, McKenna Medley, and members of Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. GARY PONDER (DRUMS) hails from "Detroit, Rock City" and is also a founding member of the band. He and Stu have played in many original and tribute bands together over the years. Gary is an amazingly versatile drummer and percussionist, with the ability to play drums and percussion at the same time! Just give him a microphone and he'll amaze you with his human beat-box. His credits include stints with Gary Wright (of "Dream Weaver" fame), Maureen McCormick, and Chris Squire of Yes. He also has an impressive recording studio that features an amazing array of drums sets and percussion instruments not only on the floor, but attached to all four walls and even hanging from the ceiling! Gary not only hits those drums with flair, but he's also right on time with his famous wit. JP MICHAELS (BASS & VOCALS) from Las Vegas, Nevada is also a well established musician and singer, having been the lead singer and bassist for Polydor Records rock artists Rubicon. He was also the lead singer of KAOS and bassist for Vinyl Tattoo and a number of top tribute bands, and a variety of studio sessions in the Las Vegas area. JP also owns a recording studio in Las Vegas that many other tribute band players and original artists have recorded in. JASON COOPER (LEAD GUITAR & VOCALS) from San Diego, California is well-known to the Southern California music community, playing full-time, part-time and subbing on guitar and lead vocals for an impressive number of original and tribute bands. He auditioned for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and made it to the final round. MARVIN SPERLING (BASS & VOCALS -special guest) is well known in both the hard rock original band community and the tribute band world. He was a member of the band Heaven & Earth and mixed the Windows To The World album which featured Kelli Keeling on vocals, Richie Onori on drums, Marvin on bass and Stuart Smith on Guitar. Marvin was top-ranked rock keyboardist Keith Emerson's bassist for his last group project, Aliens of Extraordinary Ability. Marvin is omnipresent in the California Tribute scene, playing in tributes to Deep Purple, Bad Company, The Moody Blues, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac and leads his tribute to British rock, The Bangers. SHANE TASSART (LEAD VOCALS -special guest) is one of California's top rock vocalists, having performed in a number of tribute and original bands, including a lineup featuring members of the Bullet Boys. He is truly one of those singers who has it all - voice, image, showmanship and professionalism. All together, these 5 talented musicians that together truly bring you the best version of a tribute to Journey with their top-notch musical talent, image and hi-energy stage performance. Unlike many other Journey tribute bands, ESCAPE is 100% LIVE, with NO BACKING TRACKS or 'sweeteners' of any kind. This is possible because four of the members have extensive experience as lead singers in other bands, and the band tirelessly spends countless hours perfecting their trademark four-part harmony blend. Playing 100% live allows the band to extend or condense songs and adjust tempos to match the vibe of the crowd at that moment, and of course Journey music simply doesn't feel right with a click track. ESCAPE has been performing all over the North America - including over 30 states in the USA - to sold-out crowds and multiple encores for 30 years and like fine wine just keeps getting better! The band has opened for America, Survivor, Europe, Firefall, Dokken, Skid Row, and Jackyl among others, has performed backing tracks for TV shows, and even played on Entertainment Tonight (ET). You can follow the individual members on Facebook and Instagram:
Stu Simone- www.facebook.com/StuSimoneMusic
www.instagram.com/StuSimoneMusic
Gary on Facebook-
https://www.facebook.com/garyponderdrummer
JP on Facebook-
https://www.facebook.com/jp.michaels.1
