BIO
The Refugees have been entertaining Bay Area crowds since 2007, bringing the music of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers to local stages with a stunning level of realism. Voted the top tribute band in the S.F. Bay Area in 2009, their extensive song catalog includes all of Petty’s hits with the Heartbreakers as well as his solo work and other side projects like The Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch.
Recreating all the signature guitar solos and rich vocal harmonies down to the smallest detail, The Refugees can make even die-hard Petty fans feel like they are at another Tom Petty concert.
The Refugees have been entertaining Bay Area crowds since 2007, bringing the music of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers to local stages with a stunning level of realism. Voted the top tribute band in the S.F. Bay Area in 2009, their extensive song catalog includes all of Petty’s hits with the Heartbreakers as well as his solo work and other side projects like The Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch.
Recreating all the signature guitar solos and rich vocal harmonies down to the smallest detail, The Refugees can make even die-hard Petty fans feel like they are at another Tom Petty concert.
Jody Greenberg
(Tom Petty) – guitar and lead vocals
Founder and lead singer of The Refugees, Jody has been a fan of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers for many years. With a voice naturally similar to Petty’s, he’s able to recreate the feel of the music without sounding like a forced imitation of Petty’s unique voice. By helping recreate all the nuances and details of the original music, he strives to make The Refugees much more than a copy band, but a true tribute to 30+ years of amazing music from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
Mike Douglas
(Stan Lynch/Steve Ferrone) – drums and vocals
Mike Douglas’ diverse professional musical career spans 30 years in the Bay Area, from pit orchestra percussion (Man of la Mancha, The Fantastiks, Grease, the Sound of Music) to original rock projects (White Stone, RSF, Paris) to cover bands (Time Bandits, New Nobody’s Band). Now with The Refugees for almost 16 years, he recreates the performances of both Steve Ferrone and Stan Lynch with his solid drumming and impressive harmony vocals.
(Benmont Tench/Scott Thurston) – keyboards, harmonica, guitar, vocals
Peter is a Bay Area native and veteran of local cover bands, having performed with The Back Pages, The Overcommitments, and Roxy Lady over the years. He is also currently keyboardist and founding member of Radio Radio, Northern California’s premier Elvis Costello tribute band. Since joining the Refugees in 2012, he has applied his skills on piano and Hammond organ to evoking the signature keyboard sounds of Benmont Tench of the Heartbreakers.
Rick da Motta
(Mike Campbell) – lead guitar
Rick da Motta grew up on the San Francisco Peninsula and like most guitarists of his generation was bitten by the music bug once he heard the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. Influenced by the likes of Hendrix, Clapton, and Page, he has developed both the ear and the skill to be able to recreate the tone and feel of Mike Campbell’s amazing guitar playing, from the signature riffs and subtle slide work to the blazing solos.
Steve Love
(Ron Blair/Howie Epstein) – bass and vocals
Steve Love has a storied career * in music. He was born in Surrey, England and has been playing guitar since the age of 5. When he was in high school, he formed the Steve Love Band. For the next 6 years, the band would play in local pubs and as special event entertainment. Now in his mid-twenties, Steve saw an ad in the Rum Runner for a bass player in a band that would tour the country – the Eric Clapton band. Steve was bass player for the band for the next 15 years. Since then he has been a touring guitarist/bass player for such artists as Jackson Brown, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jefferson Airplane. Steve made a permanent move to the SF Bay Area and he found his place with The Refugees.
[* Steve’s bio is definitely not verified.]
