Old-school new wave will meet a new wave of old-school when Greg Hawkes, former keyboardist for The Cars, joins Eddie Japan on stage at the
on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The show is a record release party for the
by Eddie Japan, which was co- produced by Hawkes. The record was also recorded, mixed and co-produced by Benny Grotto (Aerosmith, Amanda Palmer, Weird Al) at Mad Oak Studios in Allston.
Eddie Japan is Boston-based, but fronted by Northampton resident David Santos.
The group is described as combining "1960s baroque pop and mod influences with the less restrained tendencies of '80s alternative guitar bands to create a soaring, dramatic sound that stands apart from the beats and banjos of today's indie scene," according to the music website Sonicbids.com.
After Eddie Japan players the new record in its entirety, Hawkes will join the band for an encore of Cars covers, according to Santos. Hawkes, of course, helped define The Cars sound with his synthesizer sounds and riffs. He has also played and/or recorded with stars such as Paul McCartney and Todd Rundgren.
Career highlights for Eddie Japan include winning Boston's famed Rock 'n' Roll Rumble in 2013. (The contest was previously won by such Boston notables as 'Til Tuesday, The Lemonheads and Dresden Dolls.) The band also picked up a Boston Music Award for Live Artist of the Year that same year.
In 2015, the group's single, "Albert," was included on the popular music video game, "Rock Band 4." This gave Eddie Japan its first national exposure, and the song is now closing in on 100,000 streams on Spotify. In late 2015, the band completed a seven-date Northeast tour with The Motels, and last year, it shared bills with The Fixx and Midge Ure of Ultravox.
Along with David Santos, Eddie Japan includes Chris Barrett on trumpet and keyboards, Eric Brosius on guitar, Chuck Ferreira on drums, Bart LoPiccolo on guitar, Charles Membrino on bass, Emily Belastock on vocals and Morgan Llorens on vocals.