Name: Greg Hawkes with Eddie Japan
Start: 2025-10-24T20:00:00-04:00
Location: 14 Summer St, Natick, MA, United States, Massachusetts 01760

Greg Hawkes is best known as the keyboardist and a founding member of the iconic new wave band The Cars. As a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Hawkes played a pivotal role in shaping the band’s distinctive sound with his use of synthesizers, keyboards, and electronic effects. The Cars’ success in the late 1970s and 1980s is often attributed to their catchy melodies and blend of rock, pop, and electronic elements, with Hawkes’ synth work providing much of the band’s signature atmospheric and melodic texture. His contributions were key to the band’s hit albums, including The Cars (1978), Candy-O (1979), and Heartbeat City (1984), which solidified their place in the annals of rock history.
In addition to his legacy with The Cars, Greg Hawkes has maintained a dynamic presence in the music world, collaborating with a variety of artists and exploring new musical directions. One of the most notable of these collaborations is with the Boston-based band Eddie Japan. In 2017, Hawkes produced and contributed keyboards to Eddie Japan’s album Golden Age, which marked the beginning of an ongoing partnership between him and the band. His distinctive sound was a perfect match for Eddie Japan's cinematic pop style, helping to elevate their music with layers of rich, electronic textures that harkened back to the 1980s, while adding a fresh twist to their evolving sound.
Beyond studio work, Greg Hawkes has continued to collaborate with Eddie Japan through their popular live shows. Together, they’ve performed the music of The Cars, with Hawkes joining Eddie Japan on stage to recreate the iconic sounds of his former band. These performances often sell out and garner praise from fans and critics alike.
Hawkes’ continued involvement with Eddie Japan not only deepens the band's connection to the legacy of The Cars but also showcases his enduring relevance and creative energy as a musician. His partnership with Eddie Japan has brought a new dimension to both his career and the band’s music, blending the old and new in exciting ways.