David Elitch (born April 7, 1984) is an American drummer, session musician, and drum instructor. He is best known for his work with the progressive rock band The Mars Volta and for teaching body mechanics and the psychology of performance to other drummers.[1]
Elitch grew up in Sebastopol, California. Because of his father being an avid jazz fan, Elitch predominately listened to jazz and big band music and soon learned to play the genre at an early age. He would later learn to play along to heavy metal and progressive bands.[2][3]
Elitch first garnered attention when he moved to Los Angeles and joined the hard rock band Daughters of Mara. In 2007, Daughters of Mara recorded their debut album "I Am Destroyer" with GGGarth Richardson on Virgin/Capitol Records. He also gained notice through his contributions in the highly-acclaimed gospel chops drum DVD, "Shed Sessionz Vol. 2," where he is paired with top gospel and R&B drummers.[4][5][6]
In October 2009, Elitch made his live debut with The Mars Volta in Oslo, replacing Thomas Pridgen as the band's drummer. He completed the second leg of the Octahedron tour, performing in Europe, Australia and South America. He departed the band in October 2010 and was replaced by Deantoni Parks.[7]
In 2012, Elitch was hired by heavy metal group Killer Be Killed and recorded drums and percussion on their 2014 inaugural, eponymous album.[8] He left the group in 2015 and was replaced by Ben Koller.
While Elitch was simultaneously working on both Killer Be Killed and Antemasque records, he was also preparing for Miley Cyrus' upcoming tour for her album Bangerz in 2014. He was allotted three weeks to prepare for the tour of which he participated for a few months. He had previously performed with Cyrus during her Wrecking Ball television performances on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and The Ellen DeGeneres Show during the previous year.[10]
In 2022, Elitch filled in for Patrick Wilson of Weezer during the band's Chicago show that year and the entirety of the European tour.
Elitch conducts online masterclass lectures and operates a private teaching practice in Los Angeles where he incorporates methods of longevity and body mechanics. He tutors novices as well as experienced professionals.[11][12] These techniques have earned him a reputation as a highly sought-after drum instructor among skilled practitioners.[13] One notable student is comedian Bill Burr.[14]
The Synthetic Love Of Emotional Engineering (2011)
References
↑ Aug 2024, Mark Griffith On 01st. "Dave Elitch". Modern Drummer Magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
↑ "Dave Elitch". SABIAN Cymbals. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
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