Patrick Lew Fondly Remembers PLB Guitarist Eddie

At one point, me and my former PLB bandmate Eddie had a friendly rivalry in the music scene.

Similar to when Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty in the WWF when The Rockers split.

There was a period where Eddie was doing better in the scene than me after the band went sayonara. It's kind of like how Christian was doing better than Edge was in the WWE back in 2005! In fact, Eddie was "over" with the crowd more so than Patrick Lew was. I was still trying to get my foot in the door.

Between his departure in 2005 (excluding his 2007 one-off return) to at least 2009, Eddie Blackburn was doing better than Patrick Lew was in the indies. He had his band Nocturnal Rock Turtles and I had my soon-to-be revamped Patrick Lew Band. His band was playing shows occasionally in San Francisco. His last major appearance (as far as I know) took place at University of San Francisco in March 2009.

Sadly after his final major appearance onstage, Eddie disappeared from the music scene and fell off the grid. He unintentionally became the Marty Jannetty of the band. He pulled his own Vito Bratta from White Lion and just fell off the grid. Some say it was substance problems, but we will never know the whole story. Under tragic circumstances, time hasn't been kind to Eddie. I was told by our schoolmate back in 2016 (when Patrick Lew Band peaked) to say hi and check up on him because he wasn't in good shape.

During that same period, I was the TOP HEEL in the indies as Patrick Lew Band. I was getting booed by every music critic of miens and even the audience. Lol. In 2009, Patrick Lew Band started getting somewhere in the indie music scene. I released our second LP and we started becoming more recognized in the scene's hierarchy.

Then Patrick Lew Band got more and more out there. Leading up to what made us so great today before, during and after PLB was over.

Me and Eddie's story in the music scene can be looked at as a Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty situation.

Eddie Blackburn was the Cliff Burton of PLB. I miss the man still. But the rock and roll show must go on.