1) band name: Patrick Lew Band
2) hometown: Antioch, California, USA
3) genres: Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Garage Punk, Grunge, Punk Rock
4) years active: 2001-present
5) labels: Heavy Sigma Records (USA/Canada), Unsigned (worldwide)
6) related bands: Band of Asians, The P & G, Distorted Harmony, Goldenweasel, Logic's Enemy, Retrograde Fire
7) website: http://www.reverbnation.com/patricklewsband
8) band members:
Patrick Lew - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2001-present)
Faith Marie Lew - TBA role (2009-present)
David Hunter - bass (2012-present)
Greg Lynch - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (2012-present)
former members:
Jeremy Alfonso - lead guitar, backing vocals (2009-2011)
Zack Huang - keyboards (2005-2008)
Eddie Blackburn - lead guitar, backing vocals (2001-2005, 2007)
Tommy Loi - drums & percussion (2001-2005)
David Arceo - drums & percussion (2006-2012, recurring onwards)
HISTORY
Starting out as a musician by aimlessly jamming in Lew's bedroom with then-limited experience and education in playing musical instruments, creating their own brand of Garage Punk. They recorded their first demo tape between 1999 and 2001, and in May 2001, Patrick Lew began promoting his music on the Internet as a solo rock musician or in his freelance garage bands. Unlike most of their contemporaries in San Francisco, the band was interracial and inter-gender. Alongside, displaying more 80's and early 90's hard rock and grunge inspirations fused with contemporary punk. Lew also adopted a part Mod, part Hippie, and trendy Asian pop culture image. But later replaced it with varying hairstyle lengths and casual men's attire.
The Patrick Lew Band mainly created music, freelanced with other musicians in the Bay Area community in garage bands, and busked free low-key gigs locally in bars, churches, high schools, even outside of retailers in downtown San Francisco.
One of the most notable moments during their brief time as a live performing Garage Punk band was opening up for the all-girl SF pop punk trio Tinkture, Scarlett Bombs, and former lead guitarist Eddie Blackburn's other band Nocturnal Rock Turtles during a 2007 local tour across recreational centers sponsored by KLC Productions.
Some time in 2008, the Patrick Lew Band dwindled into being more of a Patrick Lew solo project with the occasional contributions of other musicians Lew was close to from City College SF and Cal State University, Hayward. By this time, Lew no longer performed live gigs and assembled a homegrown rock band recording studio in his own bedroom, to create his own music alone. Despite many turbulent times, Lew persisted and determined himself to improve as an artist, songwriter, guitar player, and musician after years of being deemed "amateurish" as a musician playing and making rock & roll music given the lack of experience at the time playing guitar and creating music. This led to three more albums, "Curb Your Wild Life" (2009), "Let It Rise And Against!" (2010), and "Murder Bay" (2011). The Patrick Lew Band took an indefinite hiatus in Fall of 2011 to devote more time to other extracurricular side projects, such as The P & G. And because of consistent expansion of the Patrick Lew Band, Lew finally receive slight recognition for his efforts and earned some online fame as a musician. Alongside, a creative lull for the Patrick Lew Band itself when making new music.
Although the Patrick Lew Band never signed with a major or indie record label, and were also turned down by a lot of the Internet music critics and the rock music industry for its uniqueness or unconventional sound or alleged notoriety, and never appeared on mainstream multi-media publications, the Patrick Lew Band nearing the end of 2011 has become somewhat of a critical moderate success in the independent rock music scene across the universe, and attracts a cult-like following via Internet based on persistence and uniqueness.
Why this name?
Because it's Patrick Lew's solo project. Pretty much! In the last 11 years since the Patrick Lew Band existed, there were: 3 drummers (Tommy, Dave, and Faith), 2 lead guitarists (Eddie and J), 1 keyboardist (Zack), no bass players. But there is only! One Patrick Lew. Fo reals.
Do you play live?
No, we jam and make music in the studio most of the time!! But you might see me busking down the street corners of downtown SF sporadically...
Would you sign a record contract with a major label?
It depends. I'm content with what I have now as far as my musical merit and accomplishments are concerned. But I'm open for the forthcoming "right" opportunity for my music if it ever comes my way!
Most of the time, I rather be known and recognized as an artist or pure musician rather than just an entertainer.
Your influences?
The Beatles, Nirvana, Green Day, Pearl Jam, AFI, Steelheart, White Lion, Tesla, Metallica, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, Dead Kennedys, Silverchair, Mother Love Bone, Bad Religion.
Being in a rock & roll band is like being in a marriage. It's not just about getting in a studio or club playing music together. It's also very similar to a romantic relationship with someone. I mean I been in bands where a guy gave me a hard time for reasons that seem irrelevant today. Basically...Either, you have to get along and resonate well with your band. Or else, sh*** man...You're unemployed musically for the time being. I do most of the music alone, given the skills I've gained over the years in the regional music field. And somehow...Persisted because of it.
Favorite spot?
San Francisco! Other than that, Seattle. As far as overseas goes, I love Ireland and my homeland of Japan and Taiwan in the Far East.
Equipment used:
My musical gear consists of...
Guitars: Gibson SG, Epiphone Les Paul custom Hot Rod, Excel Stratocaster
Amps: Fender 25R Frontman Amp
Pedals: Digitech RP50 Multi-Effects, Digitech Death Metal hi-gain distortion box, Boss DS-2 Turbo
Other Guitar Accessories: Dunlop bottleneck slide (for my crappy slide guitar skills...), Monster 15 ft cables
Recording: Acoustica Mixcraft 4, M-Audio Fast Track USB digital interface, Various guitar VST's (for Mixcraft), Countless #'s of drum loops via DVD, Beheringer USB guitar interface, Line6 TonePort GX (discontinued as of 2011), My Toshiba laptop
The Gospel (promoting my band): Toshiba laptop (equipped w/ WiFi), critical thinking & writing skills for band bios and EPK's, countless #'s of my finished pieces of music via mp3 files, ANY indie music website with high traffic, big demographics, and registered artists & bands (ex. Reverbnation, Facebook, etc)
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