Born in 1970, I’m definitely a kid of the 1980s.
And even though I never had the coveted Atari 2600 at home video game console (introduced in 1977), fortunately, our farmer’s daughter friend down the road, Ann Scamerhorn, did get one for her Christmas gift (to be shared with her little sister Amy) in 1980. While the game consoles came with one included game cartridge like “Combat” or “Pac-Man,” the video game that will forever stand out in my mind is “Journey Escape,” based on the hit 80s rock band Journey and lead singer Steve Perry.
We repeatedly played “Journey Escape,” released in 1982 and named for the band’s seventh and most successful album, “Escape” in 1981. The album included the hit song “Don’t Stop Believin,’ “ which is the song played during the opening of the video game.
The premise of the game has the player helping guide lead singer Perry, who is now 75, back to his “scarab spaceship” tour bus after a concert.
A description of the game by BBC Music explains: “As the band tries to escape post-concert in their Scarab Escape Vehicle (as featured on the album cover) they must protect the concert cash from love-crazed groupies, sneaky photographers, stage barriers and shifty-eyed promoters. Assisting the player are roadies, which provide short periods of immunity to obstacles, and The Band Manager, depicted as the Kool-Aid Man, which allows the player to move to the Scarab completely unhindered to win the game.”
I can even recall my mother commanding a competitive Atari joystick and accepting the game challenge at the Scamerhorns’ 1982 Christmas party.
It seems very appropriate and celebratory that The Blue Chip Casino, Hotel and Spa in Michigan City are marking their return to entertainment opportunities with a headliner Journey tribute band this weekend for one concert at 8 p.m. performed by ReCaptured, billed as “the ultimate Journey Escape Band.”
Of course, the lakefront focal point of the gaming destination is the gleaming high-rise Blue Chip Hotel Tower, boasting blue-tinted windows, 300 luxurious guestrooms and 60 suites as an architectural anchor of downtown Michigan City. But along with the unveiling of the hotel, Blue Chip’s 2009 incredible $130 million expansion featured the addition of a convention center, spa and fitness center, and the 1,200-seat capacity Stardust Event Center. This latter has remained shuttered since early 2020 after the COVID-19 shutdown.
After three years of waiting, the Stardust Event Center welcomed back its first national headliner entertainment with the punk rock band Here Come The Mummies, performing one concert in March 2023. And a year later, we have the headlining Journey Escape band ReCaptured. Tickets start at $18 and are available at bluechipcasino.com or 219-879-7711.
Five well-seasoned musicians from Omaha, Nebraska converged a decade ago to create ReCaptured to to deliver the sights and sounds of Journey. Steve Reckinger recreates the sound of lead singer Perry, guitarist Dan Korb provides the renditions of Neal Schon’s timeless guitar licks, and the rest of the tribute band includes Dave Bontrager on piano/keys and Todd Roberson on drums.
Blue Chip marketing manager Joel Giannetti has been with the casino for 20 years and coordinates the booking of entertainment with his Las Vegas colleagues from the gaming property’s parent company Boyd Gaming. And now he’s working with Jasmin Bryant, communications specialist for Boyd Gaming Corporation home headquarters in Las Vegas, for even more exciting future headline entertainment.
“Great to welcome audiences back and tickets are selling well to get crowds back in the Stardust Event Center,” Giannetti said.
During the past two decades, even before the opening of the Stardust Event Center, the list of entertainers to grace the stage at Blue Chip includes Bobby Vinton, Joan Rivers, Bill Cosby, George Jones, Sara Evans, Leann Rimes, Blake Shelton, Chubby Checker, Vicki Lawrence, Wynnona, Pauley Shore, Wayne Newton, Tiffany, Kenny Rogers, The Chippendales Dancers, Sister Hazel, Edwin McCain, Gallagher, New Kids on the Block lead singer Jordan Knight, Rita Rudner, Louie Anderson and Sha Na Na, among others.
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org.