By Lori Bartlett
Special to the Daily Press

Infectious energy flows from Elevaters’ diverse sound encompassing hip-hop, rock and funk genres harnessed into a style they simply call “soul.”

Diversity is not only found in their sound, Elevaters music stems from a desire to promote positivity, tolerance and self-acceptance. With songs like “Let’s Get Real” and “Follow Me,” the lyrics tackle topics such as attaining self-empowerment and building relationships on trust.

“There is a lot of intention put into the context of where the song came from,” explained bassist Itai Shapira. “A lot of these guys were theater students ... so they understand the power of words. As lyricists, they put a lot of intention into the lyrics … Our band is very ethnically diverse so we try to express that in the music.

“It’s really, uplifting music.”

The creative collective known as Elevaters met primarily through a UCLA theater class. The lull between classes in the sculpture garden outside the theater building became an opportunity for four of the band’s current members to begin jamming together.

Vocalist and beatboxer Ben Hall said the incidental courtyard meetings resulted in a musical relationship that was special from the start.

“Sam (Golzari), our keyboard player, and MC and David (Noily) and Miles (Gregley) and I would just be hanging out, and we would just start making music together,” he recounted. “I would start beatboxing and they would start singing and rapping. We just started making music together when we had free time because it was fun.

“I always felt, with these guys, I was talking about things I really cared about,” said Hall. “I found myself being very honest with them and that was something special.”

That something special was put on hold while the group split to explore the post-grad world, but the Los Angeles area beckoned. After three years, they decided it was the right time to focus on the musical chemistry they felt in college. As they harnessed in on the new vision, Shapira joined as the fifth member, adding depth to the former vocal and guitar sound.

Drummer Andre Morton, the newest member, joined up with Elevaters after seeing their live show at The Mint in February.

“I walked in and the guys were performing without a drummer and Ben was doing the beatbox, and they were just so entertaining,” said Morton. “So I just stayed after the show… and said ‘You guys are holding this thing down, but if you had a drummer you’d really be able to blow up.’”

With the current Elevaters incarnation, the sextet has made a name for itself in the Santa Monica area, regularly headlining shows at local spots such as Temple Bar and 14 Below. With a strong theater background, Elevaters are far from shy on stage and bring a frenetic brand of energy to their performances.

“We are very comfortable on stage,” said Golzari. “When I go see a performance, I want to get a connection, get a sense of who they are, so I just take the things that I love in shows that I’ve seen and I really try to make sure that we keep that kind of energy in our shows — just a positive, happy experience on stage, and hopefully, that translates to the audience.”

While every band has dreams of being signed to a major record label and to have the means to distribute their music on a larger scale, the group is loyal to its Santa Monica roots.

“Here, we got that beach, Westside mentality. We also have that open-mindedness, and people who like a variety of music — classic rock and hippie rock mixed with hip-hop,” said guitarist Noily. “The people are here. There are people of all ages at our shows. Santa Monica is represented at an Elevaters show for sure.”

Santa Monicans can get Elevated on Saturday at 14 Below, as Elevaters headline a show featuring Libra Project and Emily Moultrie, with doors opening at 8 p.m. and Elevaters rocking the stage around 11 p.m. Tickets are $8 at the door and in advance. Call (310) 451-5040 for more information.