The Evolution of Patrick Lew Band (PLB)

I divide and split Patrick Lew Band in two different eras. Kind of like the Bible where there's an Old and New Testament. 

I started the PLB as a somewhat lovable yet aloof, goofball and angsty teen idol. The kind of guy you would see your daughter ride her coattails over. For better or worse. 

But the critics were very dismissive about what I was doing and couldn't take the music or me as a human being seriously. But I think I sold a little better and done better as an artist during middle and later half of my music career as a member of PLB (the experimental years) than most of my first decade as an active artist (the child star years). 

When the depression, the drama and all that sh*** such as getting into a fraudulent common law marriage at age 24...A lot of the people lost interest in Patrick Lew Band or began seeing me as a lost cause. 

I'd say 2009 was the last year of the "child star" PLB and 2010 onward as the beginning of the "experimental" and "trying to break the walls down" (sorry Y2J) period. 

Some of the old fans who turned their backs on Patrick Lew Band probably did that because I started to become more harder-edged, less vibrant and eventually more jaded. That started happening during 2008-2010. And those old fans began going after more conventional sounds and music artists that were on YouTube, Top 40 or whatever format going on at the time. But I've also started gaining more new fans and more moderate respect gradually for dropping the "child star" image and going for a more "no holds barred" gimmick. I was tired of the drama I was dealing with in my life and I was sick of being treated like a doormat from people. 

So I stopped smiling in press photos. The songs got more serious in nature and the music got a little more sophisticated. A true music fan with open minds and open ears wouldn't like PLB from much of my 2000s era "child star" output. But would grow to appreciate my later band TheVerse and PLB albums like Bubblegum Babylon. Maybe even my short stint with Pleasure Gallows. 

I remembered the sh*** got really bad initially because people wanted the cute, likable and sad Asian boy from the 2000s back. And they backstabbed me and my music because I was with my ex for six years. The sh*** I was doing was too much for them to handle and they couldn't understand it. 

Also, much of society was changing rapidly at the time and was coming of age. So I grew up with them to get with the changing times. 

But once I started being more experimental in the home studio, putting myself out there more, trying out new ideas and concepts, joining the band TheVerse and truly paid my dues based on blood, sweat, tears and persistence. My status as PLB became more profound and true fans of music began to really see my music for what it is and begin little by little to appreciate and admire what I do more! 

Patrick Lew is an artist and musician. And also a human being god dammit. Lol. He wasn't a puppet or yes-man for this crazy world we live in. I had so much to give and I always tried to bring new ideas and concepts to the table and carve my own path and success in life and with my music without the middle man involved, people having to kiss my ass or me doing it myself and conforming to the people who didn't understand me or worse. I was going to be content forever being that cute sad Asian boy playing "Asian Girls" forever onstage and be remembered for that. I had bigger dreams and ambitions in mind!

So yeah...The old era of PLB was the "child star" years (2001-2009) and the new era of PLB was the "so-called revolutionary/experimental" years (2010 onward). Just a fact and personal story to tell y'all! Love me, hate me, whatever...Patrick Lew and his music is here to stay!