Press Kit
Invincible - The Pat Benatar Experience
Nearly two years in the making, Invincible – The Pat Benatar Experience highlights the many hits that Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo have penned over their 40-year career. Not only does singer Darlene Tyler emulate Benatar's Rock/Opera vocals, but her looks and mannerisms will have you fully immersed in the show and singing along to Pat Benatar hits such as "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Heartbreaker", "You Better Run", "We Belong" & "Love Is A Battlefield".
But the spot-on impersonation doesn’t end with Darlene. Guitarist-vocalist Monty Smith’s exceptional attention to detail in each performance makes Invincible the type of act you would come to expect on a national stage. You can tell that they love what they do, which is honoring Neil and Pat by re-creating their amazing chemistry in every show.
Invincible is the true Pat Benatar Experience.
Darlene Tyler – AKA Pat Benatar
Darlene Tyler has 30 years of fronting bands up and down the West Coast of the USA as well as Guam, Hawaii, The Philippines and Japan. Her vocals lend themselves to all styles of music, but Rock is one of her favorites. Not only is she a top notch singer, but Darlene is also great on the keyboards.
Her range is phenomenal which helps her with the high vocals she is now portraying as Pat Benatar. Being only 5 feet tall is also a plus as not only does she sound like Pat but her size and looks will make you do a double take!
In between music projects, Darlene is a successful entrepreneur
Monty Smith – AKA Neil Giraldo
Monty Smith has been performing/writing/producing music for over 40 years. In addition to live work, he maintains a Seattle recording studio that is used for many projects including multiple singer-songwriter collaborations & exclusive soundtrack work for a national TV show. Monty was also the founder & primary writer/producer for Energetic Music, a buy-out music library that was marketed to radio, TV & Video producers. Clients include Dryers Ice Cream, LA Kings hockey show, Kenworth/Peterbuilt Trucks & the Yamaha Snowmobile Racing Team as well as thousands of independent video producers. He currently has over 6,000 tracks available for client access.
Monty's resume also includes live sound & lighting. His travels as a musician/producer/lighting/sound has brought him to share the stage & studio with members of Blue Oyster Cult, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Missing Persons, Simple Minds, Anthrax, The Motels, Berlin, Nelson, Flock Of Seagulls, Steppenwolf, Survivor, Heart, Sheriff, 3 Dog Night, Johnny Winter, Loudness, Winger, Stryper, Ricky Nelson, Bad Company and John Mellencamp.
Monty also directs music videos and creates abstract art in his “spare” time that is marketed worldwide.
Tommy Wall – AKA Roger Capps
Tommy Wall fell in love with music the first time he saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964. He got his first guitar at 7 years old and with the help of his parents experienced different genres of music from country, big band, blues and rock n roll. Tommy switched to bass soon after.
He has been playing professionally for over 40 years in venues from Boston, Seattle, Anchorage, Vegas, and throughout the mid-west performing Rock n Roll, Blues, RNB, and Zydeco. For the past 20 years Tommy has made the Pacific NW his home working in the blues and rock scene as a sideman in various bands, hosting award winning blues jams, performing at festivals, casinos, and a 6 year long monthly residency at the world famous Highway 99 Blues Club in Seattle with his band Big Road Blues. Now you can find Tommy performing in Invincible paying tribute to the great bassist of Pat Benatar, Roger Capps.
Craig (CJ) McRae – AKA Myron Grombacher
CJ McRae hails from Atlantic City, New Jersey. CJ began playing drums at five years old but took the drums seriously at age fifteen where he played in church learning from organist, the late William “Butch” Oatman, and joined his high school marching band under the direction of Ben Fong. CJ won the Louis Armstrong award for jazz his senior year of High School.
After graduating CJ was the drummer for the punk rock band Blackboard and toured with the Crossmen drum and bugle corps. CJ taught private drum lessons for ten years at a music store owned by the late Herb Hutchinson. In addition to teaching private lessons, CJ was the arranger and instructor for three New Jersey high schools.
In 1999 CJ moved to Washington state and joined the rock cover band BENT. During this time CJ was also a member of the Seattle Seahawks Blue Thunder drum line where he was a performer and assistant director for a few of those years. CJ later joined the Heart tribute band Heartless and the rock cover band Wildchild. CJ has studied with Rich Redmond (Jason Aldean) and Nate Morton (The Voice).