Elijah Trotsky
Elijah Trotsky, a stripped-down banjo player who found his sound and attitude on the streets of Hollywood after gaining his B.A. from UC Berkley and his Masters in Western Philosophy from Columbia University, can rock the house with just a banjo. Fuelled by caffeine and a raging love for his idols – Iggy, the Ramones, the Dead, Pete Seeger, Nietzsche, Kant, Marx Thoreau, Sartre, Dali and the solitary Mexican mariachi –Elijah Trotsky has distilled his experiences in punk, rock, country bands along with his formal education into a unique 21st century hybrid – eco-friendly, but with ample power, acceleration and speed.
Broken in like an excellent pair of jeans, Elijah plays lead banjo and vocals, alone or accompanied by a guitar (with his duet The Sunshine Brothers.)
He discovered his obsessions young. He had come of age during the punk era and had been an outcast with his banjo playing in bands since his teens. Elijah was fronting the hippie-punk The Bedevilers while working on his Master thesis, but was itching for a change. He started fooling around with a couple songs for fun and found a new and natural vibe for his long neck banjo.
Then Elijah had his big realization. “I was walking around Manhattan and watching all the musicians then came home to Hollywood and started feeling there should be music on the street corners there as well.” In all that hustle, filth, sex and bustle, it was a glaring lack. “So I got out there and played at the Hollywood Farmers Market for a couple months. It was liberating and gave me a great feel for what I was doing.” There were all sorts of industry types living in the area that would come regularly. When Shawn Amos heard him, Elijah Anarchist landed his first indoor gig, opening for Amos’ band. His sets include originals such as “You Got the Boom” and “If I Only Knew”, plus industrial-strength covers ranging from “London Calling” to “Blitzkrieg Bop” to, yes, “Dueling Banjos”.
“Just because it’s a banjo doesn’t mean it can’t rock,” asserts Elijah, who picked up his first long-neck at age eight, after seeing Pete Seeger at a benefit concert. “When Pete Seeger was writing songs, they weren’t sweet or sentimental. He was playing for a purpose. He’s the best player I’ve ever heard.” By 16, Elijah was touring with a top 40 country band on the county fair-rodeo-chili cook-off circuit. Later, while living in El Paso, he grew accustomed to hearing live music on the streets in Mexico. “The idea of making music for people on the street appealed to me,” he recalls.
Professionals had been skeptical of a “lead banjo” until they heard what Elijah could do. That’s when he started booking jingles and commercial riffs, even playing “Take me out to the ballgame”, for Fox sports news. “This is definitely not bluegrass – or background music,” he laughs. “It’s aggressive and in your face.” The dynamic interplay between a guitar and Elijah’s banjo is full of surprises. The banjo dares you to try and define it, but don’t bother because Elijah’s got stuff you’ve never thought of. He was strictly a roots player until four years ago when he wanted to rock and built an electric banjo with all the equipment a Stratocaster would have. “It’s louder, meaner, dirtier and can reach a lot more people,” he says. Now, that electric energy, intensity and howl have seeped into his acoustic playing, giving Elijah Trotsky a sound and attitude all his own, one that does not dismiss the discipline and responsibilities of our day, but also doesn’t miss a chance to take a chance.