The Patrick Lew Band Story

"Hello! My name is Patrick L. Hayashi. Im a 35 year old Asian-American who is born, raised and currently living in San Francisco, California. Thank you for visiting my page (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, etc etc) and taking the time to listen to my music or watching my videos. I sincerely and definitely appreciate it! I hope that you enjoy the music that I post on here. If there is anything about my work that resonates with you, whether it be the lyrics or the compositions themselves, I am truly grateful and honored that it did. I hope to connect with many musicians and listeners across the world, regardless of musical genre, race, color, creed, sexual orientation or religion. My music is Patrick Lew Band. And right now. You are reading and listening to my story on social-media."

 In 2001, Patrick Lew-Hayashi formed a band under the banner Patrick Lew Band in his hometown of San Francisco, CA, when he was just 15 years old. At the time, Hayashi played guitar and occasionally sang and they had a lead guitarist named Eddie and a drummer by the name of Tommy Loi. Most of Hayashis early years in the indie music circuit was playing in a garage band mostly. In 2005, Hayashi was attending City College of San Francisco and was briefly signed to an indie label based in La Jolla, CA. After he was dropped from his developmental contract with the label, Hayashi decided to book studio time with the help of his friends.

Most of the time, Hayashi was on the Internet putting his bands music out there. While recording a demo in a local recording studio, the band eventually came up with enough music to self-release a full-length album. On November 15, 2006, which was also Patrick Lew Hayashis 21st birthday, the Patrick Lew Band released their debut album JUMP, RATTLE, AND ROLL on CDBaby. Patrick Lew Band would begin to sporadically play small shows in the San Francisco area by 2007 with a frequently changing line-up. They originally attempted to pitch in with the post-hardcore scene, but the band did not fit in as they were considered too raw, lo- fi and unhinged. Their first single AZN GIRLS was posted online during late 2007, leading to a critical backlash among the band locally and social-media over unbeknownst reasons. Around this same period, the bands chiptune rearranged cover of the Nirvana song Drain You was published on Nirvanaclub.com. By 2008, Hayashi built a home studio and began recording demos rigorously throughout the year. However, an intense backlash over his music and public persona intensified on social-media. By this time, the band had dwindled to Hayashi and his close friend and drummer David Arceo. While attending CSU East Bay to study a B.A. in Philosophy, he rebuilt Patrick Lew Band around himself and Arceo with three of his former toxic friends Jeremy, Greg and David Hunter. During 2009, Patrick Lew Band began making their strides in the regional music scene and on the Internet. Their song Everyone Loves Ashley brought them to notoriety and initial indie-level fame. Between 2009 to 2012, the band would write and record up to as many as 60 songs per year in their home studio. The band was trying their very hardest to land a spot in the major leagues. To have something to fall back on, Hayashi taught himself the fundamentals of the indie music business and being his own entrepreneur in the digital age. During this period, Patrick Lew Band had aborted plans to tour locally. Adding more trouble to the dysfunctional garage band, they canceled an offer to perform a benefit show at UC Berkeley in Fall 2010 because of tensions within the Patrick Lew Band. However, the group would perform live in the Antioch area occasionally during some of 2011 with Hayashi and his former friend/bandmate Greg Lynch on guitar and lead vocals on stage. Some of these performances can be found and since leaked on Patrick Lew- Hayashis official YouTube channel. Between 2009 to 2012, the Patrick Lew Band self-released their music online: Let It Rise And Against (2009), Murder Bay (2011) and the EP Angry Yellow (2012). On February 4, 2012, Patrick Lew Band performed at Dolores Park in San Francisco. After taking a few years away from the music scene and indies because of a failed common-law marriage with his then-partner Faith and very well documented personal problems, Hayashi made his return to music with the Patrick Lew Band by the beginning of 2015. Embarking on their most profitable and memorable run in the indie music circuit. 2015 began with Hayashi being appointed the Ambassador for Antennas Direct. And conducting a televised interview with the 24 HOUR K-POP music TV channel in the San Francisco Bay Area. While maintaining a stabilized indie music career, Hayashi also began working traditional day jobs following his college graduation from CSU East Bay. Working numerous day jobs such as a cashier at Walgreens, a computer sales associate at Best Buy. By this time, the bands line-up had just whittled down to just Hayashi and Arceo. Around this same period, Patrick Lew-Hayashi introduced a crossdressing M2F alter ego by the name of Madeline Lew Hayashi into the band. Created from digital special effects, CGI and Photoshop. In a music marketing storyline, Madelines role in the band is described as, the long lost younger sister of Patrick Lew-Hayashi saving the band from failure and bringing his band and his music back to prominence. Madeline Lews introduction into the Patrick Lew Band as a virtual band member and mascot brought Patrick Lews profitability back to prominence in the music scene and helped Patrick Lew Band achieve publicity and moderate indie-level success that he did not accomplish prior to 2015. The bands drummer David Arceo mutually departed from the Patrick Lew Band in mid-2016 to pursue other life avenues. The success and exposure that the Patrick Lew Band received during this period included a couple music blogs writing about the Patrick Lew Band online and being mentioned on-air on Bay Area rock FM radio station 107.7 THE BONE. The band was mostly recording in their home studio in San Francisco. By 2016, the band launched their own label and multimedia start-up Promisedland. The band was often working on new music in their home recording studio between 2015 and early 2017. The Patrick Lew Band would release their album OAKLAND on Valentines Day 2017. Tragically, Hayashis beloved mother Winnie passed away on April 8, 2017. For most of the year, Hayashi laid low. He returned to the music scene as Patrick Lew Band later in the year, working with booking agents AFTON SHOWS. He and his alter ego Madeline Lew would perform at Brick & Mortar Music Hall on October 8, 2017. By the end of 2017, the Patrick Lew Band no longer was a full-time responsibility as Hayashi began working a stable full-time job at Chocolate Heaven Pier 39. He also began only sporadically making studio recording appearances with the band as he branched his talents to other outlets and playing music with local bands outside of Patrick Lew Band. On March 17, 2020, Patrick Lew Hayashi shocked the world and Internet music community when he randomly announced the return of Patrick Lew Band on his Instagram and Facebook page. And furthered his intentions in the music scene amidst COVID-19 pandemic and worldwide lockdown as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Because of his band Benigneglects uncertainty, Hayashi didnt want to not have anything to do during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Advancements in technology and modern formats enabled the return of Patrick Lew Band and helped accommodate their music and band for their audience during Quarantine. Such as live stream concerts and a virtual fan club exclusively through PLBs main hubs online: Facebook, Twitter, IG and YouTube. The return of Patrick Lew Band involved Patrick Lew Hayashi himself and the return of his kayfabe sister Madeline in the bands lineup. Within the next couple of months, a flurry of activity followed. Patrick Lew Band made its first major appearance since their return to music by hosting a series of live stream concerts directly at Lewnatic/PLB HQ on the Covid Concert Series group on Facebook. After a dismal and lukewarm response in regards to PLB in the Covid Concert Series group on Facebook, PLB decided to revert to their YouTube channel for live stream Quarantine concerts and fresh new online content. Between April to July 2020, the band had created and uploaded at least 20 new YouTube videos on PLBs channel. The band was also busy working on new music in their home studio Lewnatic HQ in San Francisco. Rigorously practicing and creating new material. The band would release their first new music of all-new originals and not rehashes/off-cuts since 2017, a three-song EP titled PARIAH on May 1, 2020. Sister Madeline Lew was also involved in many projects outside PLB as well, including making music for a solo EP titled TO THE MOON AND BACK and making amateur JOI videos on Pornhub. During this fruitful period however, the band was not free from criticism, controversy and toxic energies. But to much of the bands relief, this thankfully did not lead to a third social-media backlash for Patrick Lew Band. As the bands circle of stans and numbers in the digital age grew rapidly and skyrocketed during this eventful period since returning. The week after, Patrick and Madeline returned to their day jobs while continuing doing music with PLB full-time. They also occasionally worked with Yandie on new material in separate home studios (SF & San Jose) for their other band Crazy Loser in a Box. On June 13, 2020, Patrick was interviewed via FaceTime with his good friend Howard Billington from the Japanese music scene for their YouTube channel The Baka Broadcast about PLB and the East Asian music scene and community. The podcast real-time interview would be posted a week later worldwide online. During the month of July 2020, Patrick Lew Band was featured on four prolific different music blogs on the Internet. All thanks to the music marketing services with the right middlemen on Fivver app. Currently. PLB is hard at work on some new music and continuing to do their thang in the indie music scene and as prolific online content creators. Theres really only more to come!

STAY TUNED!

VH-1 BEHIND THE MUSIC: PATRICK LEW BAND (PLB)

HISTORY:

2001-19: PATRICK LEW BAND

In 2001, Patrick Lew-Hayashi formed a band under the banner Patrick Lew Band in his hometown of San Francisco, CA, when he was just 15 years old. At the time, Hayashi played guitar and occasionally sang and they had a lead guitarist named Eddie and a drummer by the name of Tommy Loi. Most of Hayashi’s early years in the indie music circuit was playing in a garage band mostly. In 2005, Hayashi was attending City College of San Francisco and was briefly signed to an indie label based in La Jolla, CA. After he was dropped from his developmental contract with the label, Hayashi decided to book studio time with the help of his friends.

Most of the time, Hayashi was on the Internet putting his band’s music out there. While recording a demo in a local recording studio, the band eventually came up with enough music to self-release a full-length album. On November 15, 2006, which was also Patrick Lew Hayashi’s 21st birthday, the Patrick Lew Band released their debut album JUMP, RATTLE, AND ROLL on CDBaby.

Patrick Lew Band would begin to sporadically play small shows in the San Francisco area by 2007 with a frequently changing line-up. They originally attempted to pitch in with the post-hardcore scene, but the band did not fit in as they were considered too raw, lo- fi and unhinged. Their first single “AZN GIRLS” was posted online during late 2007, leading to a critical backlash among the band locally and social-media over unbeknownst reasons. Around this same period, the band’s chiptune rearranged cover of the Nirvana song Drain You was published on Nirvanaclub.com.

By 2008, Hayashi built a home studio and began recording demos rigorously throughout the year. However, an intense backlash over his music and public persona intensified on social-media. By this time, the band had dwindled to Hayashi and his close friend and drummer David Arceo. While attending CSU East Bay to study a B.A. in Philosophy, he rebuilt Patrick Lew Band around himself and Arceo with three of his former toxic friends Jeremy, Greg and David Hunter.

Amidst the troubled and trying times, Hayashi re-located to Antioch, CA to live with his mother Winnie.

During 2009, Patrick Lew Band began making their strides in the regional music scene and on the Internet. Their song “Everyone Loves Ashley” brought them to notoriety and initial indie-level fame. Between 2009 to 2012, the band would write and record up to as many as 60 songs per year in their home studio. The band was trying their very hardest to land a spot in the major leagues. To have something to fall back on, Hayashi taught himself the fundamentals of the indie music business and being his own entrepreneur in the digital age.

During this period, Patrick Lew Band had aborted plans to tour locally. Adding more trouble to the dysfunctional garage band, they canceled an offer to perform a benefit show at UC Berkeley in Fall 2010 because of tensions within the Patrick Lew Band. However, the group would perform live in the Antioch area occasionally during some of 2011 with Hayashi and his former friend/bandmate Greg Lynch on guitar and lead vocals on stage. Some of these performances can be found and since leaked on Patrick Lew- Hayashi’s official YouTube channel.

Between 2009 to 2012, the Patrick Lew Band self-released their music online: Let It Rise And Against (2009), Murder Bay (2011) and the EP Angry Yellow (2012).

On February 4, 2012, Patrick Lew Band performed at Dolores Park in San Francisco. After taking a few years away from the music scene and indies because of a failed common-law marriage with his then-partner Faith and very well documented personal problems, Hayashi made his return to music with the Patrick Lew Band by the beginning of 2015. Embarking on their most profitable and memorable run in the indie music circuit. 2015 began with Hayashi being appointed the Ambassador for Antennas Direct. And conducting a televised interview with the 24 HOUR K-POP music TV channel in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While maintaining a stabilized indie music career, Hayashi also began working traditional day jobs following his college graduation from CSU East Bay. Working numerous day jobs such as a cashier at Walgreens, a computer sales associate at Best Buy and a local

By this time, the band’s line-up had just whittled down to just Hayashi and Arceo. Around this same period, Patrick Lew-Hayashi introduced a crossdressing M2F alter ego by the name of Madeline Lew Hayashi into the band. Created from digital special effects, CGI and Photoshop. In a music marketing storyline, Madeline’s role in the band is described as, “the long lost younger sister of Patrick Lew-Hayashi saving the band from failure and bringing his band and his music back to prominence.”

Madeline Lew-Hayashi’s introduction into the Patrick Lew Band as a virtual band member and mascot brought Patrick Lew’s profitability back to prominence in the music scene and helped Patrick Lew Band achieve publicity and moderate indie-level success that he did not accomplish prior to 2015. The band’s drummer David Arceo mutually departed from the Patrick Lew Band in mid-2016 to pursue other life avenues. The success and exposure that the Patrick Lew Band received during this period included a couple music blogs writing about the Patrick Lew Band online and being mentioned on-air on Bay Area rock FM radio station 107.7 THE BONE.

The band was mostly recording in their home studio in San Francisco. By 2016, the band launched their own label and multimedia start-up Promisedland. The band was often working on new music in their home recording studio between 2015 and early 2017. The Patrick Lew Band would release their album OAKLAND on Valentines Day 2017.

Tragically, Hayashi’s beloved mother Winnie passed away on April 8, 2017. For most of the year, Hayashi laid low. He returned to the music scene as Patrick Lew Band later in the year, working with booking agents AFTON SHOWS. He and his alter ego Madeline Lew would perform at Brick & Mortar Music Hall on October 8, 2017.

By the end of 2017, the Patrick Lew Band no longer was a full-time responsibility as Hayashi began working a stable full-time job at Chocolate Heaven Pier 39. He also began only sporadically making studio recording appearances with the band as he branched his talents to other outlets and playing music with local bands outside of Patrick Lew Band.

The Patrick Lew Band would officially become discontinued on June 8, 2019. One day following Patrick Lew-Hayashi receiving the 40 Under 40 award at his alma mater CSU East Bay. He would become the first major Japanese-American male to receive the high honor.

LEWNATIC/BENIGEGLECT (2019-2020)

Following the disbanding of Patrick Lew Band, Hayashi kept a low-profile. Instead, focusing on his day job as a chocolatier at Pier 39 and courier work.

On July 2, 2019, Patrick Lew-Hayashi announced worldwide through a press release that he would be pursuing a solo career under the name LEWNATIC. And was going “back to basics” as an artist. Focusing less on adhering to the traditions of the music industry and placing more emphasis on passion: “making metal music and putting it out there for everyone and living a more simple life.”

Intense guitar session videos were immediately filmed on his phone and posted all over Hayashi’s social-media accounts (ex. Facebook, Instagram and etc) as a buildup to an actual home studio recording.

He explained the second breakup of Patrick Lew Band: “I started Patrick Lew Band. I ended it. Simple as that.

The real reason? I felt I've done that all I could creatively with PLB. And made all the impact I needed to and desired. And it was one of those grandiose ideas where it became a boring exercise to make sophisticated rock music where it didn't go as far as I would have liked it to.

I've said to myself before, "once the PLB runs out of creativity and becomes in danger of becoming a caricature of its former self. That was the time to pull the plug on Patrick Lew Band." Plus I've made all that impact I've needed to with Patrick Lew Band in just almost 20 years but not the way I wanted it to be.

Rather than spare myself more trouble trying to push PLB to major league status. I've went the other route as a solo artist where I just wanted to be free from the anxiety and stress and play music as a labor of love rather than pressure and push myself to become the G.O.A.T in rock and roll.”

The band Lewnatic was intended as a born-again Japanese punk rock and thrash metal outlet for Patrick Lew-Hayashi. The image of the band was directly inspired by Japanese rock star Miyavi Ishihara and the Korean boy band BTS. The band’s name initially was Lewnatic Park, which was suggested by Hayashi’s close friend Rob Silver as an anagram of his birthname. The band’s name would eventually be shortened to LEWNATIC as Hayashi didn’t want the music business and the audience to mistaken the new solo project as a Linkin Park tribute band and out of respect for LP frontman Chester Bennington, who passed away in 2017.

To avoid compliance and patent issues, the band is sometimes known as LEWNATIC (JP) to avoid confusion between other bands and YouTubers on the Internet with the same band name or username. To distinguish the differences between Patrick Lew-Hayashi’s music from YouTubers or any bands or music artists with the same name.

Hayashi found out that he was going to Japan for the first time with his father and the rest of his family to serve his mother Winnie’s final purpose that Summer. He decided when he was going to be in Japan to busk as an artist or do open mics with his new band LEWNATIC. His first trip back to his native Japan also changed him greatly as a person and also helped repair some fractured relations with his father that’s been going on since the passing of his mother Winnie.

He came back to a hero’s welcome locally and at his day job at Chocolate Heaven Pier 39.

On September 6, 2019, Hayashi and Fil-Am rapper and friend A.Kaye performed an in-house live show at Patrick’s home recording studio. The performance has since leaked online on social-media.

While working with the band Crazy Loser in a Box sporadically in his home studio via online collaboration between himself and his one-time flame Sigyn for a new album. He decided to drop his first major release with LEWNATIC via digital distribution online. A two-song EP titled “The American Nightmare” was self-released on CDBaby and digitally distributed on streaming apps such as Spotify and Apple Music.

He also began working with booking agents Afton Shows again on the side. LEWNATIC performed their first show in the Bay Area at San Francisco’s historic DNA Lounge on November 3, 2019. A video of the live performance has since leaked online, especially on YouTube.

On December 15, 2019, fellow Fil-Am Bay Area rapper A. Kaye officially joined Lewnatic (JP) as the band's newest member onstage during their gig at DNA Lounge. This live performance would be released worldwide on CDBaby and streaming apps as the band’s first proper LP titled Brotherhood. A concert video of the performance has since leaked on MyAfton’s YouTube channel!

In early 2020, the band Lewnatic changed their band name to Benigneglect. Also A.Kaye and Patrick Hayashi rebranded Benigneglect into a rap-metal duo. They began working on demos at Lewnatic HQ (Patrick’s home studio) in February that year. The band was tentatively scheduled to perform at DNA Lounge again on February 9, 2020, but “pulled out” due to health reasons. Benigneglect then-rescheduled their canceled DNA Lounge gig to March 8, 2020 instead. 

The band performed at DNA Lounge on March 8, 2020. A week later, the band went into a sabbatical and hiatus as both Hayashi and A.Kaye were more interested in pursuing solo projects outside the band amidst COVID-19 pandemic. 

RETURN OF PATRICK LEW BAND (2020-PRESENT)

On March 17, 2020, Patrick Lew Hayashi shocked the world and Internet music community when he randomly announced “the return of Patrick Lew Band” on his Instagram and Facebook page. And furthered his intentions in the music scene amidst COVID-19 pandemic and worldwide lockdown as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Because of his band Benigneglect’s uncertainty, Hayashi didn’t want to not have “anything to do” during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Advancements in technology and modern formats enabled the return of Patrick Lew Band and helped accommodate their music and band for their audience during Quarantine. Such as live stream concerts and a virtual fan club exclusively through PLB’s main hubs online: Facebook, Twitter, IG and YouTube.

The return of Patrick Lew Band involved Patrick Lew Hayashi himself and the return of his “kayfabe” sister Madeline in the band’s lineup.

Within the next couple of months, a flurry of activity followed. Patrick Lew Band made its first major appearance since their return to music by hosting a series of live stream concerts directly at Lewnatic/PLB HQ on the Covid Concert Series group on Facebook. After a dismal and lukewarm response in regards to PLB in the Covid Concert Series group on Facebook, PLB decided to revert to their YouTube channel for live stream Quarantine concerts and fresh new online content. Between April to July 2020, the band had created and uploaded at least 20 new YouTube videos on PLB’s channel. 

The band was also busy working on new music in their home studio Lewnatic HQ in San Francisco. Rigorously practicing and creating new material. The band would release their first new music of all-new originals and not rehashes/off-cuts since 2017, a three-song EP titled PARIAH on May 1, 2020. Sister Madeline Lew was also involved in many projects outside PLB as well, including making music for a solo EP titled TO THE MOON AND BACK and making amateur JOI videos on Pornhub.

During this fruitful period however, the band was not free from criticism, controversy and toxic energies. But to much of the band’s relief, this thankfully did not lead to a third social-media backlash for Patrick Lew Band. As the band’s circle of stans and numbers in the digital age grew rapidly and skyrocketed during this eventful period since returning. Tragically, Patrick and Madeline’s pet cat Jinks passed away on June 20, 2020. The week after, Patrick and Madeline returned to their day jobs while continuing doing music with PLB full-time. They also occasionally worked with Yandie on new material in separate home studios (SF & San Jose) for their other band Crazy Loser in a Box.

On June 13, 2020, Patrick was interviewed via FaceTime with his good friend Howard Billington from the Japanese music scene for their YouTube channel The Baka Broadcast about PLB and the East Asian music scene and community. The podcast real-time interview would be posted a week later worldwide online.

During the month of July, Patrick Lew Band was featured on four prolific different music blogs on the Internet. All thanks to the music marketing services with the right middlemen on Fivver app. The band performed their first major live stream concert through their booking agents AFTON SHOWS on July 26, 2020. However, technical difficulties and failure to adapt to new technology within a short space of time led to a very lousy live performance from PLB. Fortunately during the following Sunday evening on August 2, 2020, Patrick Lew Band’s latest single, the Madeline Lew Japanese sung track “Nothing Stands Our Way” was played worldwide on Internet alt-rock radio station Shady Pines Radio based in Portland, OR. Another track, “Across The Borrowed Times”, pulled off Madeline Lew’s solo EP TO THE MOON AND BACK, was also broadcasted by Shady Pines Radio a month later.

To make up for their dismal June 26, 2020 live stream concert, PLB broadcasted a free live stream concert inside their home studio in San Francisco on their Facebook page on August 5th.

PLB would begin work with their good friend and indie filmmaker James Conrad for their first major music video for their comeback single “Good Morning Miss Bliss”, filming sequences in various San Francisco neighborhoods in August and September 2020. The video footage being used for the promo is currently in possession and in post-production video editing at Lewnatic HQ and is set to world premiere on PLB’s YouTube chanel on Patrick Hayashi’s 35th birthday on November 15, 2020. 

Currently. PLB is hard at work on some new music and continuing to do their thang in the indie music scene and as prolific online content creators. There’s really only more to come! Patrick Lew Band was even tentatively booked to do an American live tour promoted and hosted by one of Patrick Hayashi’s American musician pals up in Vietnam some time in 2021! After a lengthy three-year hiatus, despite its bleak tone worldwide, 2020 remains not only PLB’s big comeback but it also is Patrick Lew Band’s best year in the music scene since 2012 at least! It was truly a resurgence for Patrick Lew Band in music. There’s only more to come! Pat’s vision for PLB is to keep doing what they’re doing and become bigger, better and badder than ever in rock, K-Pop and J-Pop music! Lol. 

Watch out people. It ain’t over until the BBW lady sings. The PLB is back in action and coming to town!

NON-MUSIC RELATED

Outside of music, Patrick Lew-Hayashi has also acted in community theater and made a cameo appearance in Season 4 and Episode 1 of Emmy Award winning TV series The Man in the High Castle. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from California State University, East Bay and currently works a full-time day job at Chocolate Heaven Pier 39 as a Supervisor. He has also worked in tech for three years as a visual merchandiser and has an extensive work resume outside of the indie music industry.

"Awards and Accomplishments received by Patrick Lew..."

1. One Time Hall of Fame Inductee - CSU East Bay 40 Under 40 Class of 2019 as a member of Patrick Lew Band and as a solo artist. 2. Interracial Dating Grand Slam Champion

He has romantically dated every major ethnicity from the opposite gender: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic.

3. Celebrity Endorsee with Antennas Direct

4. The first male 40 Under 40 Hall of Famer of Japanese descent at CSU East Bay.

Patrick Lew just got interviewed in Japan. It's now posted on YouTube!

My podcast interview with the Japanese music scene has been posted! Filmed on June 13, 2020 through video chat. It was just posted last week on Saturday!

WATCH NOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIBdcMbgxLk

Upcoming Recurring Patrick Lew Band Live Tour

Patrick Lew Band is doing a recurring tour amidst COVID-19. We're gonna be pre-taping our live musical performances at Lewnatic HQ in front of a tiny or no live audience and broadcasting it live on #YouTube!  House Show Mania is real indeed for the PLB!  Patrick Lew Band is doing the 2020-21 In Your House Tour. It's going to be almost like them pre-taped #WWE pay-per-view events at the performance center. But edited and polished up for live broadcast! Lolz. Like a lot of bands during #COVID-19 pandemic. We've been stuck at home, unable to play shows outside the live venues. It's back to Square One for PLB. The garage band days all over again! But with today's technology, I'm gonna try and make it interesting. It's not gonna be for everyone! But it gives us plenty of shit to do.  The tour dates are TBA. Best way to know what's up is keeping tabs on Patrick Lew Band's social-media!  #STAYTUNED

Patrick Lew Band's Plan: 2020 Onward

The plan For PLB going into 2020 onward. Relaunching a rock and roll mom-and-pop brand.

The rebuilding plan... 

 1. Start by keeping it as a Patrick Lew solo project. 

 Like how it was after my good friend David mutually departed Patrick Lew Band in mid-2016, the PLB was mostly a Patrick Lew solo project from there. With the introduction of a "crossdressing" alter ego introduced into the band as a "virtual" band member and mascot named Sister Madeline Lew, ever since David left the band on good terms to pursue other life avenues...It gave Patrick Lew Band more creative freedom to be what was intended to be. Like the social-media presentation, the music and etc etc. 

Even before David's departure from the drum kit, Patrick Lew Band was a dysfunctional and derelict type of garage band. Where toxicity and polar opposites in creative direction, relationships and different goals for the band tore it all apart. 

The 2015 return of PLB was mostly seen more as a "reboot" of the entire band rather than a band reunion with all former members. With Patrick Lew as the bandleader and primary composer of the band, it gives the PLB more opportunity to be themselves and enough creative and personal control over the music and the brand. 

 2. Taking the band off the road. 

 Unlike Patrick Lew's branching out towards his work with other bands such as TheVerse, Pleasure Gallows and Benigneglect, which were based mostly on live shows and performances. Like The Beatles, very few people have actually witnessed Patrick Lew Band live and onstage. 

Also, Patrick Lew Band was one of those acts in the indies that didn't really enjoy touring as much for different reasons. So with that being said, the concert timeline of PLB is very limited and sporadic/intermittent. However, with improvements and advancements in technology...Patrick Lew Band made most of their impact as a home recording band, putting it up online and digitally distributing all the full-length albums, EPs and singles on Spotify, Apple Music and our YouTube channel. 

With difficulties seizing bookings outside of Afton with Patrick Lew Band, and other personal difficulties in the live aspects as a solo act. Patrick Lew Band only prefers a limited amount of tour dates annually. Patrick once said, "he can't do more than 4 shows per week for a myriad of reasons. Aging and health related being one of them." He also said that doing less shows enables him to perform his best onstage. 

And that being said, less is more for the fans. Quality over quantity. With COVID-19 pandemic still in full effect, like a lot of other bands using live streaming as a source of keeping their audiences up-to-date. Since bands aren't allowed to play mass gatherings at live venues amidst the pandemic, a lot of bands are now utilizing live streaming of in-house performances to sustain themselves. 

 To keep the budget tight and ensure Patrick's long-term health won't be affected by doing too many live appearances outside the studio, Patrick Lew Band has announced the recurring In Your House 2020-21 Concert Tour. Which is basically going to be pre-taped live performances at Patrick Lew's home recording studio in San Francisco, and with advancements in technology and digital video editing, edited and polished as a presentable and passable concert video and instantly premiering them on YouTube, typically at 4 PM on Sundays. 

 To keep up with frugal cost-friendly ventures and to avoid long-term risk factors with Patrick Lew Band, touring will be limited to sporadic appearances annually. Expect at least 5 In Your House concert videos to be uploaded yearly on Patrick Lew's YouTube channel. 

 3. Ability to branch out. 

 Patrick Lew Band returned to the music scene on March 17, 2020 via Instagram and Facebook post. Unifying both Lewnatic and Patrick Lew Band into one, well, Patrick Lew Band. 

However, like wrestlers who are not exclusive to WWE but contracted to other promotions like AEW, which enables wrestlers to work with other organizations in affiliation. Patrick and his alter ego Madeline will not just be exclusive to just Patrick Lew Band. 

Since the end of 2017, PLB drifted into doing one-off and very sporadic appearances. 

All because of Patrick branching out to playing with other Bay Area bands such as TheVerse, Pleasure Gallows, Benigneglect, Crazy Loser in a Box...And there's probably going to be more bands that Pat will play guitar or bass with in the future. 

Patrick personally doesn't enjoy touring as a solo act, but enjoys touring and playing shows with other bands. It usually takes the pressure, stress and anxiety away from him as a solo live performer and enable him to focus on his main strengths as a musician, playing the guitar. 

He won't necessarily be a bandleader, and he definitely wasn't in TheVerse. But he will be able to take the pressure off by stepping down from that bandleader role and focus more on playing the guitar or bass in the band. Patrick also thinks it's important to play with other musicians. Thinking, it's always more fun to do it that way. 

However, any band outside of Patrick Lew Band and its 2012-2017 stop-gap band Steel Lions will not be exclusive to his record label Lewnatic Records. It also increases the prolific nature and qualities of Patrick Lew and adds more credentials in his music. 

 4. Keeping it real.  

Patrick Lew feels Patrick Lew Band should remain an independent rock act away from the major labels and music industry sharks. And he is perhaps right about that. 

After many years of playing with PLB, he's realized that Patrick Lew Band is too raw, experimental and not as accessible for Top 40 rock music platforms and all audiences. If this were wrestling, Patrick Lew Band would be equivalent to Impact Wrestling or MLW. Whereas, TheVerse was PG Era WWE and Pleasure Gallows was CZW. 

While the Patrick Lew Band of today isn't necessarily garage band quality music, the music of course has gotten a little more sophisticated and now has better studio production...Yet, it still has that raw sound. Patrick Lew Band's music was always based on passion and emotions. 

The music itself is very unconventional, so not a lot of mainstream music fans will buy into it. 

Patrick Lew Band's music is equivalent to indie wrestling or the glory days of the original ECW like playing punk rock at bingo halls or dive bars. 

With advancements in technology, the production values are not necessarily lo-fi but it's passable enough to be considered "almost" professional sounding. 

 Patrick wants PLB to be authenticity and passion. Not mainstream popularity. 

 5. Increased Online Content. 

 Chances are, if you go on one of Patrick Lew Band's music pages online. There's about 270 tracks on that website directly from Patrick Lew Band! 

PLB launched their YouTube way back on February 2, 2007. But it would be over a decade before increased and more qualitative content and videos would be posted and accessed through their YouTube channel. Alongside, the number of social-media followers increased, but the larger numbers only began becoming more prominent following PLB's first visit back home to Japan last year. 

Right now, there's 457 YouTube videos under Patrick Lew Band's YouTube channel. Patrick Lew's personal Instagram was created some time on August 2014. There is now almost 15,000 posts and photos under his account on Instagram since the first day it launched! 

 Even on streaming apps like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube...Patrick Lew Band has nine full-length albums you can listen to or cherry-pick the songs out of like a personal playlist. According to YouTube, there's at least 170 tracks associated with Patrick Lew Band that can be streamed that has seen worldwide release on digital music platforms. 

 The increase in content is intended to build a legacy, impact and perhaps gain more new fans and listeners by having as much content available as possible. 

 Recently, Patrick Lew Band has released a few EPs and two full-length albums as of 2020. New music from PLB will continue to be released on streaming apps like Spotify through PLB's main distributor CDBaby.com on behalf of Lewnatic Records. Whereas, Patrick Lew Band will be releasing and posting their B-list material or C-list material albums on their Bandcamp page as a digital download.
A new album for Patrick Lew Band is rumored to be in the works right now at Lewnatic HQ. But as any other PLB record before, it's going to be an unpredictable surprise and will take some time. Studio autonomy, playing with other bands and Patrick's meticulous attitude when it comes to making new music being the reasons. In short, it will take awhile perhaps. The increased content available for PLB is like the Library of Congress or an artist exclusive Sirius XM station. The purpose behind it is to take it worldwide, see what comes out of it and build a legacy and make an impact.

LINK: facebook.com/patricklewband

PLB (JP) BAND EPK

Jump, Rattle and Roll to our rock and roll freak show.

Patrick Lew Band (better stylized as PLB) is a music project with roots in San Francisco, Japan, and Taiwan. Inspired by artists as diverse as The Beatles, The Kinks and The Rolling Stones, Patrick managed to come up with a melodic, yet energetic songwriting style that feels absolutely one-of-a-kind. From brit pop, to garage and punk, but also some dreamier textures, the possibilities are truly endless! Patrick has a diverse approach as a songwriter, and his trusty band is there to help him make his vision come true, one song at a time!

PLB is one of the most interesting, eccentric and critically successful yet polarizing bands within the annals of Asian-American music history.

The group's principal members were all born and raised in San Francisco, California. Singer, composer, guitarist and bandleader Patrick Lew Hayashi started making music and putting himself and his band on the Internet since high school. His younger "fictitious" sister Madeline later joined the band on bass. They began making strides in the scene in 2016 by accumulating a series of bragging rights, patents and titles under their name.

Between 2016 and present day, PLB achieved stellar regional and independent success accumulated from their credentials in the underground rock music scene, alongside Patrick and Madeline's moderately influential public personas on social-media. The band is also very active on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook and their music also can be easily accessed on the Internet.

Patrick Lew Hayashi is also a 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame Class of 2019 inductee at his alma mater California State University, East Bay, being the first Japanese-American male and second Taiwanese-American male to achieve that honor for his respective services and contributions to Bay Area's music scene and the Asian-American community with PLB.

Don’t miss out on their most recent releases, including an full-length album and a handful of EP, detailing their journey through music and creativity!

Find out more and listen to Patrick Lew Band:

www.facebook.com/patricklewband

www.twitter.com/lewnaticjp

www.instagram.com/patricklewband

www.soundcloud.com/patricklew

patricklewband.bandcamp.com

soundclick.com/patricklewband

www.youtube.com/djaudorage66

open.spotify.com/artist/76q8rnKceHx3HaGlcospDA…

open.spotify.com/artist/7bBAEOueuwjLbBKD39q73a…

PLB (JP): Facebook Behind The Music

PATRICK LEW BAND (PLB)

FORMED: 2001 in San Francisco, CA
YEARS ACTIVE: 2000s, 2010s, 2020s
GENRES: Hard Rock, Grunge, Britpop, Pop Rock, Punk Rock, Heavy Metal, Art Rock, Japanese Rock

BAND LINE-UP: 
Patrick Lew (劉冠達): Guitar, Compositions, Lead Vocals 
Madeline Lew (劉 凛和): Representation

RELATED BANDS: TheVerse, Crazy Loser in a Box, The Steel Lions, Pleasure Gallows, The Tortured, Benigneglect

PATRICK LEW’S EARLY LIFE (1985-2001)
Patrick was born on November 15, 1985, in San Francisco, California, to Winson Lew (born 1948) and Winnie Hayashi (1951-2017). He has two siblings, Ricky (born 1981) and Madeline (born 1985; 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.

1/5

In his pre-teenage years, Patrick Lew’s interest in music shifted to hard rock, heavy metal, 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.

EARLY MUSIC CAREER (2001-2007)
Patrick joined his first band Samurai Sorcerers in 2001. Which would later be retconned and rebranded as Patrick Lew Band/PLB in August 2008.

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 (2008-2012)
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.

2/5

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.


THE STEEL LIONS (2012-2017)
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.

The Steel Lions was intended as a modern day homage to 80’s and early 90’s American hard rock, influenced by bands such as Bon Jovi, Metallica, Nirvana, Mother Love Bone and even bands like Oasis.

The Steel Lions would sporadically record at Patrick's newly built home studio in San Francisco during this period. And performed at Mama Art Cafe on September 13, 2013. The band would work with former Distorted Harmony drummer Erick Salazar in his personal studio to record the album Unfinished Relics. After several delays, The Steel Lions would self-release Unfinished Relics digitally on May 12, 2016.

3/5

Patrick would discontinue the Steel Lions officially in early 2017, feeling that the project “served its purpose.” Patrick Lew also lated stated that Steel Lions was actually a “stop-gap band” and a “precursor to PLB’s second run” in the indies. He also later stated that Steel Lions was one of his biggest flops in his indie music career, and the band will never reunite.

SECOND RUN WITH PATRICK LEW BAND AND OTHER BANDS (2015-2019)
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/shoegaze 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 was initially at work in the studio on a new EP while enjoying a well deserved off-season. But a long grueling period of inactivity and the band procrastinating led to Patrick Lew getting frustrated creatively and pursuing projects outside the band to keep busy.

Patrick Lew left the band TheVerse on September 21, 2019. He however remains very close with his former Verse bandmates.

In October 2016, Patrick Lew became a fill-in touring bassist for the San Francisco skate 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 stage name Satoru Hayashi. They are currently working on a 4th album in the studio!

4/5

In late 2019, Patrick Lew began collaborating with Filipino rapper A.K.AYE with the rapcore/nu metal band Benigneglect. They would become once a month residents at San Francisco’s historic DNA Lounge.

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.

Upon entering the CSU East Bay Hall of Fame, Patrick Lew announced publicly by June 2019 that he will be discontinuing the Patrick Lew Band. He felt that he accomplished all that he could with PLB and felt that he made and left his mark. And he personally wanted to disband Patrick Lew Band at its highest and at its zenith rather when it was at its lowest.

THIRD RUN WITH PATRICK LEW BAND (2020-PRESENT)
However, retirement of the PLB wasn’t meant to be! On March 17, 2020, Patrick posted on Instagram confirming the return of the Patrick Lew Band in the indie music scene and the Yay Area. Because of the COVID19 pandemic and resurgence of racism towards Asian people, further affecting his activities and live performance schedule with his band Benigneglect, Patrick decided to revive PLB for sporadic appearances in the Internet music world. Working a lighter schedule with PLB in case Benigneglect is cleared to tour again. He began throwing empty house shows at his home studio Lewnatic HQ, beginning the COVID19 Lockdown Tour. He also became very active on his YouTube channel. Because of the pandemic affecting his professional indie music career and day job at Pier 39, he decided to keep busy with his PLB! There’s only more to come in the unpredictable, wild and out world of Patrick Lew Band!

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.