Garret Elias: An Open Door Policy
It’s five on the dot when I enter Roberta's Pizza. A Brooklyn classic, Roberta’s runs purely on a wood-fired oven, cheap beer, and live music. As I turn the corner, I let the distant sound of a swirling guitar guide me to the patio. The band’s just finishing up a soundcheck. After brief introductions, we head outside: the boy’s plop casually on a table, beers in hand. It’s a perfect pre-show climate, casual, relaxed, and open. Five fellas open up the floor for conversation.
Garret Elias is an indie-alternative group honing in on the DIY market. But for them, it’s more than a trend; it’s a philosophy. The group consists of Garret (vocals/guitar), Jack (guitar), Chris (drums/vocals), Rob (producer/viola), and Lave (bass).
The band’s origins trace back to Union Square Cafe in Manhattan. What started as small talk among coworkers soon emerged into what Chris calls “canned lighting.” However, the band soon realized there was an auditory absence, and that’s when Garret brought in his old friend and colleague Rob Bedson to help produce, and, as Garret puts it, “from there it kinda exploded.”
Despite the dilemma of navigating a shared creative process, this group has an automatic understanding. When it comes to riffing off one another and fine-tuning ideas, the group focuses on synergy. Each member brings their own voice, transforming any room into a creative nucleus. Rob, bragging on his fellow members, shares: “Most bands have similar experiences, but this one, I think, is unique in that we all have different musical backgrounds.” Garret, an unyielding frontman; Chris, the resident “Zeppelin head” who “can do literally everything”; Jack, a classic rock devotee; and Lave, a sonic dictionary. “All the ideas that come from their background form something incredibly special.” Lave adds: “When we’re at our best together, we all just kind of exist as one, and it’s just a beautiful, transformative experience.”
The band's anthemic sound is rooted in classic 90s and 2000s alternative rock bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Third Eye Blind, and Counting Crows. Having such revered influences, the band is eager to pass on these sacred experiences to the next generation.
“Going to a lot of those shows, feeling those rhythms and living in that live music community is just amazing,” Chris shares. It’s a crazy feeling, “capturing moments from our own shows and reintroducing that live music community to young musicians and young people who are finding music.”
After all, opening tonight's show was Long Island-based band, Boxrooster. Who knew that an electric-filled show at a barbershop would help them catch the eye of the band? Smirking, the band recalls the interaction, “They were in the audience going the hardest anyone could possibly go, like crowd surfing and moshing. They're the coolest dudes ever.” Before they knew it, Boxrooster had surfed (via crowd) their way to a gig.
It's that untamed energy that the band prides itself on. After multiple shows across rooftops, warehouses, and skateparks, Garret Elias has built its own community, rooted in both authenticity and affordability. Tonight, that community revealed itself as the band spotlighted a fan who’d flown in from Georgia. A single post on TikTok has the band's notifications pulsing with people eager to know when the next show is, and as predicted, word quickly spread outside of NYC. The band’s first show in D.C. would be a turning point. After winning over a spirited crowd, “D.C. became a second home to us,” Garret shares. A few months later, the band would play their first sold-out show.
Riding the momentum of the D.C. show, that sense of connection only seemed to grow, and that’s why, for this specific show, the band has partnered with the Mental Health Coalition, raising over $5,000 in aid. Tonight's show is all about limiting the bridge between isolation and unity. “I know everybody is going through their own thing, but let's talk about it,” Garret notes.
When asked about tackling vulnerability on “Useless,” an achingly confessional track, Garret credits a mentor who pushes his songwriting to be bound in transparency. He recalls a piece of feedback from earlier in his career, regarding his previous songwriting, when his mentor told him, “It’s 100% true about 70% of myself.” His mentor continued, “I don't know about you, man, but with all of my heroes, it felt like it was 100% honest. It’s about stepping off this pedestal, trying not to be this cool rockstar but an honest person.” The remark stayed with Garret as he noted the resemblance to his own heroes, such as Adam Duritz. “He's so honest, so emotional, so vulnerable, it's not a coincidence that he's my favorite songwriter. I want to be that guy rather than someone who’s too cool for school.”
That passion perseveres throughout the band’s discography. With a coming-of-age catalog organic to each stage of life, there’s a real sense of sincerity surrounding each track. Something that’s been missing in mainstream media. Regarding live music in the new age, there’s immediate access to one of society’s most immersive experiences. Jack points out how nowadays, “a lot of people are on their phones in the crowd videotaping everything.” Over the years, society has gathered all of its intimacy and shaped it into accessibility. That's what makes these shows so attractive, the idea that people want to be there in the moment as it was, and not see it pop across their timeline, and with “DIY shows like tonight, no phones are really out. “That's a big shift back to a time when you didn't even have the idea to go on your phone,” he continues.
There’s a clear need for third spaces that cultivate the arts and encourage creative experiences. But what does the transition from DIY to ticket sales look like as the band continues to grow? “DIY is in our blood,” Rob shares. The band nods in agreement as Jack adds, “No matter what level we're at, we always want to keep the DIY here and there.”
The key, Garret highlights, is finding “a balance” so “we're trying to make [tickets] not too expensive. We're actually so committed to keeping this DIY feeling that we've partnered with the All-American Rejects platform Playhouse, and we're gonna do all of our upcoming shows with them.”
One thing’s for certain, Garret Elias remains unrestricted by the demands of the industry, anchored by a philosophy woven into community. Regardless of the setting, the music continues to resonate. According to the Garret Elias fellas, “Live music is back, baby,” and this time, “it doesn’t need a fancy venue and an $80,000 PA system.”
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All photos by Brian Cohen.
