Patrick Lew's Evolution

Confession: I do admit that I did lose a number of my initial fan base originally as an artist. Which was common for Patrick Lew Band between 2008 to 2012. I started my musical journey as a cute, babyfaced and socially aloof child star. No lie! But as we all grow older, we all evolve. 

And that's exactly what PLB did. I tried very hard to grow as an artist, evolve and work on my craft and try and raise the bar myself on my own. 

I knew by the time I came back to the music scene in 2015, I wasn't going to attract new teenybopper fans who were 12 or 13 year olds like I did during the 2000s. But also, some of the original fans I've retained from before the hiatus were already in college or maybe even already in their 20s! 

Society was changing rapidly at the time. The generation and fans (if any) that grew up hearing a PLB record on the Internet and coming to my shows were growing up too. I grew up and evolved with them. 

The music got more experimental and serious. Even if I still got haters, it's more subtle and it doesn't drive me nuts like before since I've already made my mark these past few years. Some of the people who used to be indifferent towards me and my music became a little fascinated by what I do. 

Now at age 34. I've seen the light. Made my so-called mark. But ain't slowing down just yet!

Initially, I lost a lot of fans of my music in PLB who I've picked up during my mid 2000s child star phase, and they've migrated to other plastic superficial tastes in music or just in general. 

This started happening in 2009, when the critical backlash towards Patrick Lew Band was at an all-time high on the Internet and once I got hitched and got into a six-year relationship with my ex. And when I evolved from cute little Asian Zac Efron to "Sad Asian Boy" Patrick Lew. Lol. True story by the way!

But later on, I've gained a decent number of fans and consumers who didn't care about PLB at first but became interested because of the music and perhaps maybe my life story as it was told on social-media. People who didn't take notice of me back in the 2000s started appreciating PLB more because they knew what was really up. The music, the story behind the music and how I carried myself over! Ya know? 

When I started evolving and working on my craft, a decent number of people began taking me more seriously as an artist, showman and musician. 

Then TheVerse happened, Pleasure Gallows happened and all this and that. Cementing my status as "Immortal Patrick Lew." Lolz. #JumpRattleAndRoll

Patrick Lew Band Story

THIS IS THE TRUE STORY OF ASIAN-AMERICAN ACTOR, PUNK ROCK MUSICIAN AND INTERNET PARIAH PATRIK LEW!

PATRICK LEW’S EARLY LIFE

Patrick was born on November 15, 1985, in San Francisco, California, to Winson Lew and Winnie Hayashi. He has two siblings, Ricky and Madeline (fictional twin sister). He was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area by his parents. Patrick had a slightly difficult childhood and upbringing, caused by the death of his paternal grandfather Wayne at the age of four and furthered, when he was battling a disability as a child and getting into trouble in school and outside with his peers and elders. Patrick Lew’s interest in music began with his mother Winnie introduced him to 60’s and 70’s British rock bands and acts such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart. 

To overcome a slightly difficult childhood, Patrick often traveled with his family for vacations and turned to pro wrestling, video games and cable TV as a source of comfort. 

In his pre-teenage years, Patrick Lew’s interest in music shifted to hard rock, J-Pop, alternative rock and eventually punk. He began playing guitar at the age of 13, after his maternal cousin Andrew was living with his family during the Summer as a foreign exchange student at a community college. His cousin Andrew was a guitar player and a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix and blues music. And he would often play the guitar and amp that Patrick’s elder brother Ricky left sitting in the closet. His mom quoted him saying, “I’m gonna make it one way or the other by playing guitar and singing writing weird rock and roll songs!” He often practiced 45 minutes to one hour every other day.

Patrick Lew attended Raoul Wallenberg High School and graduated in 2003. He would later attend City College of San Francisco, before transferring to CSU East Bay. Graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy in 2011.

GENESIS OF HIS MUSIC CAREER (PATRICK LEW BAND)

Patrick joined his first band, Samurai Sorcerers, in 2001. 

They would often play music on the weekends in their garage as a hobby away from their studies. Patrick Lew would begin recording home demos on a 4-track Tascam and began uploading his work on the Internet as early as 2001. 

In 2004, his band landed a record deal with a small indie label at the age of 19. However, they were soon dropped from their record label. Patrick Lew also roadied for the New Jersey based Asian-American rock duo FANTASIA for their San Francisco shows.  

While attending City College, Patrick Lew played rhythm guitar and electronically composed for the deathcore band Band of Asians. Which also featured future former Patrick Lew Band drummer David Arceo. 

PATRICK LEW BAND

In 2008, Band of Asians called it quits and Patrick was without a band to play music in. He was contemplating where to go next and what to do with his free time while not resuming his college studies and acting in community theater. He decided to take his original concept and ideas for his first band Samurai Sorcerers but rebrand it as the Patrick Lew Band. He would also use some of his college funds to buy musical equipment and began recording many ideas in his bedroom. He began using the Internet as a format to put Patrick Lew Band out there. He also began playing guitar more, learning the tricks of digital home recording and began composing and putting out what would become his signature work as a composer, guitar player and artist. Needing some assistance to carry the band to its potential, Patrick recruited a few former schoolmates from CSU East Bay and his bandmate from Band of Asians, David, to finalize the Patrick Lew Band lineup initially. 

Patrick then relocated to live with his mother in Antioch, California. This would become the location for where Patrick Lew Band would record and self-release their albums Let It Rise and Against (2009) and Murder Bay (2011) online. Dubbed “3700 PIETA”, this would also become the location for some of Patrick Lew Band’s live onstage performances. 

Critical reception towards Patrick Lew Band were initially very lukewarm on social-media and in the scene, stemming from the band’s first controversial hit single “Azn Girls.” Which was written about wanting to finding a place to belong in a closed-minded community and circle. For unknown reasons, the song’s original message was misinterpreted, leading to some polarizing reactions from the public.

Patrick Lew also got into a common-law marriage with his former partner Faith. They got together on Halloween 2009 and would eventually divorce on July 17, 2014. 

Eventually, the Patrick Lew Band wouldn’t function well long-term as a huge creative and personal conflict led to the band’s initial demise during September 2012. In the meantime, Patrick retreated from playing music and pursuing his passion seriously and decided to work a full-time day job as a visual merchandiser for a tech start-up. Which was his first time working a traditional paying job outside of playing music. He would record on-and-off during his break and would secretly self-release new music under the name The Steel Lions. 

FROM PATRICK LEW BAND TO PLAYING WITH OTHER BANDS (AND BEYOND…)

Patrick eventually returned to the local music scene and social-media as Patrick Lew Band on January 2, 2015. Continuing where he left off. The Patrick Lew Band would still remain predominantly a home recording solo act. With some assistance from David until mid-2016 when he stepped down from the band to pursue other things in life. 

Some time around that same period, Patrick Lew introduced a female alter ego into Patrick Lew Band named Madeline Lew. Which was created from cutting-edge modern technology and editing. Intended in storyline and social-media marketing purposes, as a fictional twin sister and Guardian Angel for Patrick Lew. Madeline plays a prominent role in the current era of Patrick Lew Band as the brand ambassador and has been credited on the recordings as a bassist and DJ.

Eventually, Patrick became close friends with his long-time acquaintance Janny and founded the post-punk/garage rock duo TheVerse. Janny was initially an EDM producer under the stage name GEM JEWELS. His collaboration with TheVerse also gave Patrick Lew his first success and major exposure in music for the first time in his life. 

TheVerse helped Patrick truly pay his dues finally in the local music scene and indies, which also included an intermittent tour across the Bay Area which lasted from May 2016 up until their most recent live performance at El Rio in San Francisco, California, on August 22, 2018. TheVerse digitally released their first EP on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music in January 2018. TheVerse is currently at work in the studio on a new EP while enjoying a well deserved off-season. 


In October 2016, Patrick Lew became a fill-in touring bassist for the San Francisco punk band The Tortured for two live performances. 

Patrick also played guitar and joined his then-girlfriend and close friend Sigyn’s band Crazy Loser in a Box. Often contributing guitar parts in separate studios with the band as collaboration. He can be heard on a few tracks off Crazy Loser in a Box’s 2018 debut album such as “Freckles”, “The Lie” and “Have You’ve Met My Friend?” Patrick Lew is still officially a member of the band under his translitered Japanese name Ryukan Satoru. They are currently working on a 4th album in the studio!

Approaching closer to the end of the 2010s, Patrick Lew entered the annals of history when he was named the recipient for the 40 Under 40 Awards from his alma mater Cal State East Bay for his work with the Patrick Lew Band on June 7, 2019. 

By the end of 2017, the Patrick Lew Band was no longer a full-time project for Patrick Lew as a recording artist and semi-pro musician. Patrick stated on his social-media, “The Patrick Lew Band will now be a sporadic part-time thing and it will always be there.” Whilst still active, the band was now a part-time responsibility for Patrick in the studio and all over the digital age of punk rock music. The Patrick Lew Band’s most recent albums were released all over streaming services digitally in 2017: Oakland and Cold Sirens. 

CONCLUSION/MORAL OF THE STORY

Let music be the labor of love! Patrick Lew's goal is to become bigger, better and badder in rock music despite his ethnicity or shortcomings. He will always be what he is, what he does and will continue to try and rock a million faces on the World Wide Web. And of course, the Bay Area.