RISING SINGER-SONGWRITER ELI SMART TO MAKE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HISTORY!
BACKED ON NORTH AMERICAN TOUR ALONGSIDE HIS LEGENDARY GRANDMOTHER, DENISE KAUFMAN, CO-FOUNDER OF GROUNDBREAKING ALL-FEMALE ROCK BAND, THE ACE OF CUPS
ON TOUR NOW SUPPORTING DECLAN MCKENNA
VERY SPECIAL HEADLINE PERFORMANCE SET FOR
LOS ANGELES, CA’S GENGHIS COHEN ON AUGUST 5

Rising singer-songwriter Eli Smart is making rock ‘n’ roll history on his current North American tour. In what San Francisco music critic Joel Selvin calls “a rock ‘n’ roll first,” Smart will be backed by a combo that includes his legendary grandmother, Denise Kaufman, co-founder of the groundbreaking all-female rock band, The Ace of Cups, on bass guitar.
The dates – which see Smart traveling as special guest alongside friend and collaborator Declan McKenna – got underway July 11, in Toronto, ON’s Danforth Music Hall and continue through early August. Smart and his band will celebrate the tour’s conclusion with a very special headline show set for Los Angeles, CA’s Genghis Cohen on August 5.
“Going on this musical adventure with my grandma brings me so much joy. I can’t wait to rock out with her and support my friend Declan McKenna. I love Declan’s music – he does his own thing and it’s epic. Magic ahead!” says Eli Smart.
“It’s a dream-come-true for me to play with Eli and his awesome bandmates” says Denise Kaufman. “Family vibes and sharing love – that’s what we’re up to!”
An iconic figure on the San Francisco Scene, Denise Kaufman was at the epicenter of the counterculture revolution, from getting on the bus at 18 with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters (where she was dubbed “Mary Microgram”) to co-founding the first-ever all-female psych rock outfit, The Ace of Cups. The Ace of Cups became known for dazzling performances spanning free concerts in Golden Gate Park to the ballrooms of San Francisco, sharing stages with everyone from The Band and The Grateful Dead to Jimi Hendrix, who they opened for at a free concert in Golden Gate Park, the week after his groundbreaking performance at the Monterey Pop Festival.
Despite eliciting music industry interest for their exceptional songs, sublime harmonies and exuberant live shows, The Ace of Cups never got the chance to make a record until a 2011 reunion caught the attention of George Baer Wallace, founder of High Moon Records. Though Wallace’s initial goal was to release archival concert recordings, he was so moved by the band’s spirit that he offered the Ace Of Cups the opportunity to record their first-ever studio album. 2018’s The Ace of Cups finally delivered on the band’s promise, showcasing fifty years of timeless songcraft with the help of special guests including such legendary players (and longtime friends) as Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Charlie Musselwhite, Bob Weir, Taj Mahal, Peter Coyote, and Buffy Sainte-Marie. A number of additional releases followed, all available now at www.highmoonrecords.com/shop/ace-of-cups.
Kaufman’s journey following the original iteration of The Ace of Cups eventually led her to being one of the seven founding mothers of Island School on Kauai, Hawaii; to studying aikido and yoga with Robert Nadeau Shihan, Yogi Bhajan, Bikram Choudhury, Pattabhi Jois, and Paul Grilley; and to teaching yoga to Madonna, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Quincy Jones, and Jane Fonda. Kaufman currently lives between Kauai and Venice Beach, CA, playing music, teaching yoga, surfing, and continuing to learn, channel inspiration and connect all those around her.
Raised on Kauai, but currently based in London, England, Eli Smart has continued his family’s musical legacy with his own distinctive brand of “Aloha Soul,” blending rock, jazz, and Tropicana with the laconic vibes of his Hawaiian home. His incandescent vocals and lush tones quickly earned a growing fan following and critical applause from the likes of NME (which named him to its prestigious NME 100: Essential Emerging Artists For 2023 listing) and BBC Radio 1, for whom he recently recorded a “Radio 1’s Future Artists” session, streaming now HERE. Smart – who also saw his 2022 track “See Through” covered in Simlish for the latest expansions of The Sims 4 – will share his latest single, “Fiesta 99.9FM,” via DITTO Music on Thursday, July 20.
ELI SMART - SUMMER TOUR 2023
JULY
15 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground – The Ballroom
17 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
18 – Providence, RI – Fete – Ballroom
20 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
21 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
22 – Harrisburg, PA – Club XL Live
25 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
26 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic
28 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart's
29 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Centre
30 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
AUGUST
1 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
3 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
5 – Los Angeles, CA – Genghis Cohen *
ALL DATES W/ DECLAN MCKENNA EXCEPT *
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CONNECT WITH DENISE KAUFMAN:
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