Hi Everybody!

Tickets are on sale for the three LIGHT OF DAY events that the Elkas Band are taking part in next month. See Shows page for details.

Hey Everyone,

The Elkas Band will be taking the stage on Friday March 1st at the Grad Club in Kingston. We love playing there and can’t wait to to Rock the whole night away. Keep in mind there is no opening act, so come early!

See the shows page for more details.

P XOXO

Hi Everybody,

I’m excited to be a part of Light Of Day Asbury Park, New Jersey again this year. As you might remember, last year was pretty special for me. I’m sure this year will be just as great.

I will be playing at the main event this Saturday night at the Paramount Theatre (Jan 19)

I will also be at McLoone’s supper club (1200 Ocean ave, Asbury Park) on Sunday evening (Jan 20) as part of the Songwriters By The Sea event.

I can’t wait to see all my Jersey friends and to continue our fight against Parkinson’s disease and other degenerative neuromuscular disorders.

I am honoured and excited to be a part of SLEEPWALK GUITAR FESTIVAL as one of the singers to appear with the legendary JAMES BURTON! Mr Burton has been a hero of mine ever since I first watched him and The Boss duel it out in Roy Orbison’s concert film A Black and White Night on ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’. The style informed my own approach to the guitar and I went on to love everything I ever heard him play, especially his dynamic picking with Elvis Presley on tunes like ‘Little Sister’ which is the tune I will be singing on Sunday NOVEMBER 4th at the Great Hall in Toronto. I can’t wait. Maybe they’ll even let me bust out a lick or two on my tele…

http://sleepwalkguitar.com/artists/2012-artists/#jb

ELKAS BAND WITH OUR FRIEND JAKE CLEMONS

The Elkas Band performed an epic 3 hour set of Springsteen songs at a wonderful surprise 50th birthday party for friend Jeff “JC” Cohen, owner of the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern over the weekend. We backed up many guest singers including Jim Cuddy, Joel Plaskett, and Willie Nile. It was especially nice when the E Street Band’s Jake Clemons showed up to catch the show.

Elkas Band Backing up the Legendary Willie Nile

WOAH! This just in!:

THE ELKAS BAND WILL BE OPENING FOR THE DOOBIE BROTHERS AT MASSEY HALL ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 12, AT 8:00PM!!!!!

We are busting and are not only honoured to be sharing the stage with a classic group, but to be performing our music at Massey Hall, one of Canada’s finest and most historic venues.

The feather will forever remain unplucked from our collective cap.

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (not the Elkas Band)

P XOX

Please read this article at BACKSTREETS.COM about the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show in Moncton. It mentions someone you know…

left to right: John Angus MacDonald, Nils Lofgren, Colin MacDonald, Jeff Heisholt, Peter Elkas, Bruce Springsteen

“…As expected, the 45-minute encore was a highlight of the show, but for Canadian music fans it was especially awesome. Springsteen and the 16-piece E Street band invited The Trews and Cochrane back onto the stage for the last song of the night, an extraordinarily long version of “Twist and Shout.” Peter Elkas, a frequent member of Canadian musician Joel Plastkett’s band, The Emergency, and a Canadian wonder in his own right, also joined the party.”

BACKSTREETS.COM AUGUST 27, 2012

Peter Elkas, Jake Clemons. Not Pictured, General Tsao

On Sunday, along with Tom Cochrane,  the Trews opened for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band in Moncton New Brunswick at Magnetic Hill. You know by now that I am a huge fan of The Boss and that I was able to meet him and be on stage at Light Of Day Asbury Park, 2012 back in January (if you don’t, scroll down through my posts and you’ll see lots about it). Well, I’m having a good year for E Street Dreams. Friday’s show in Toronto ended with Jake Clemons (Clarence’s nephew who has been simply killin’ it in his Uncle’s place as E Street’s main saxist) joining me and my siblings for very late-night Chinese and all around good times on Spadina in Toronto.

The Professor Roy Bittan and The Doctor Jeff Heisholt

Sunday I flew to Moncton for the E Street show at Magnetic Hill because that’s what you do when you don’t have a lot of money. Nova Scotia’s The Trews were to open the show along with Tom Cochrane. Openers for Bruce are beyond extremely rare. Now The Trews and I share many things: a love of classic rock, guitar solos, at one time a Manager, a jam space, not the cost of the jam space (thanks guys), but most importantly a keyboard player named DOCTOR JEFF HEISHOLT (who they stole, but that’s ok, everyone should have the Doc in their band). Jeff insisted that I come along to the Bruce gig after I invited myself. It was a gorgeous day. The Trews rocked and then Jeff came and found me and brought me back to the food tent where we saw The Professor Roy Bittan. I play piano too and count the Prof as my only influence. Jeff worships him too, and so when the moment was right, Jeff and I approached him and they talked about keyboards for a few minutes. Beyond cool, of course. Jake found me and we ate some grub. That’s what we do together. Soon after that, The Trews got word that they could have a photo with Bruce right before Bruce’s set, so I tagged along and pretended to be a Trew. it was easy, I have a beard. Anyway, Bruce came to the stage with a few other E Streeters in a golf cart that he was driving all crazy-ass. It was very funny. I snapped the picture of the Trews with Bruce (which I will add to this post when I get it) and then Bruce asked the band if they would join him on stage at the end of the show for Twist And Shout. I was never so happy to be a Trew. We all watched the show together and it was amazing. I could get carried away right now reviewing the set, but I won’t do that. I’ll just say that Bruce seemed to really appreciate the fact that there were many first-time E Street attendees there, and so he and the band really went for it and I think earned some life-time fans. We were instructed to come around to the back of the stage during Born To Run. Jeff and I showed up first and were given some instructions on what would happen. The rest of the Trews and Tom Cochrane showed up soon enough and before we knew it, the Boss told the crowd to welcome us all to the stage. Roy recognized me and Jeff and gave us a nice welcome as we passed his piano. Little Steven was also very warm in extending good vibes to us as we came on. I looked over at Jake and shrugged my shoulders and smiled. He pointed at me, smiled and said ‘welcome aboard!’, Then Bruce shook my hand.  It was magnetic.

Greetings from Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band as we took the stage at Magnetic Hill

John Angus MacDonald, Nils Lofgren, Colin MacDonald, Jeff Heisholt, Peter Elkas, Bruce Springsteen

Colin MacDonald and I shared the mic with Nils Lofgren and sang our asses off. Colin is one of the best singers I know, so I was pumped to be rocking with him, too. It was unreal unreal unreal unreal to be on stage with the artist and band I have loved the most since my brother stood me in front of the speakers in his room and played Jungleland.

"Good night Moncton! Who is this guy behind me in the blue shirt?"

Hi everyone,

Due to a family emergency, the Elkas band will have to postpone our show at the Starlight Social Club in Waterloo to a later date, yet to be confirmed.

We are terribly sorry and apologize for any inconvenience.

We look forward to playing for you soon.

Thank you very much for your understanding.

Peter