The Patrick Lew Band Story

 The versatile Asian-American artist, Patrick Lew, is an entertaining singer, creative YouTuber, and expert at playing multiple musical instruments. He enjoyed and worked on all types of music, but Hard Rock is his favorite. His primary goal is to make vibe music to distract people from pessimism through fun melodies. Despite the lack of support from those around him, he smiles and makes others smile. He makes many nostalgia videos as a 90s kid such as the one he recently created, a 90s theme documentary on his trip.

Early Passion for Music and Creativity

Patrick Lew was born in San Francisco in 1985 to a Japanese mother and a Chinese father. Patrick fell in love with music from a young age. Patrick Lew’s childhood appeared to be normal to an outsider, but he was dealing with a lot. His grandfather, who was like a close friend to him, died when he was a child. In addition, he was subjected to a great deal of prejudice and antagonism at school and elsewhere. Patrick turned to computer games, television, and professional wrestling to escape the stress. He was also drawn to music as a means of distraction. Patrick’s parents’ passion for music also instilled a love of music in him. He grew up listening to classic rock like The Beatles and Stones, his mother’s favorite genre, and funk, R&B, and Motown music by his father.

Occasionally, Patrick’s musical adventure began when he was 16 years old, in 2001. He’d make mixes for solo and high school bands and post them on social media under various band identities. After graduating from Wallenberg High School, he attended CSU East Bay and earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy with a minor in Music Composition. The band was also known as the Patrick Lew Band at the time. He now has a number of songs on major music websites such as Apple Music, Spotify, and others. Glaring Dream, Badlands, Try a Little Harder, Chasing Reality, Orgasm, and many others are among his most well-known pieces.

Moreover, Patrick earned a variety of naming honors, which greatly increased his fame. In 2019, he became the first Japanese-American male to be inducted into the 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame. At the age of 33, he received a lot of praise for his work with the Patrick Lew Band.

About his famous character: Madeline Lew

Patrick has one biological brother, Ricky Lew, who constantly claims to have two siblings. The other is his fictitious sister, Madeline, whom he fabricated for the purpose of creating interesting content. Madeline is Patrick’s female disguised as a female. He used this identity to create songs as well as YouTube content. He even created a YouTube channel in her name where he posts amusing videos.

Final Words

For the past 20 years, Patrick Lew has been creating outstanding and entertaining content in the form of songs and videos. The concept of creating a fictional character based on his sister Medaline and forming the Patrick Lew Band (PLB) with her is amusingly clever. This concept is gaining popularity. Patrick, on the other hand, is not stopping here. He is prepared to face new challenges in the future for his admirers. He is now working on a project that will be released soon. Follow him on social media for additional information. 

PATRICK LEW BAND (PLB) is an Asian-American rock band formed in San Francisco, California by singer, guitarist, YouTuber and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Lew Hayashi (born Patrick Allan Lew; November 15, 1985). 

 

PLB was previously known under various guises and pseudonyms. Since 2016, PLB is largely an Internet-based rock band and mostly participates in home recording and occasional local live performances. 

 

The band also features a virtual band member and bassist named Madeline Lew, marketed as Patrick's younger sister. The band's bassist Madeline was created through modern smartphone apps, such as FaceApp and Reface, alongside other digital special effects and sophisticated editing, such as cosplaying. 

 

He is currently an unsigned independent musician, but he is distributing his music through his own label, Lewnatic Records. Since the mid-2020, the Patrick Lew Band (PLB) has expanded and digitally reached 51 countries worldwide of underground music. Most of PLB's credentials came thanks to the Internet through bloggers/curators and digital music magazines writing about the Patrick Lew Band.   

THE HISTORY

Patrick was born on November 15, 1985 to a Chinese father and a Japanese mother of mixed descent. He mostly grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. His upbringing was rather tense and unstable, but Patrick often maintains that he had a happy childhood for the most part. To make up for his problems during childhood and while going to school, he turned to rock music, video games, professional wrestling, and TV shows for comfort. He often traveled with his family for vacations in foreign countries, such as Hong Kong and common American tourist destinations, such as Las Vegas and Hollywood. 

Patrick Lew Hayashi has been active both locally and online in music since 2001. He was playing in various short-lived local bands in San Francisco before he pursued his music with the Patrick Lew Band worldwide. He originally started his main YouTube channel and began uploading his homemade videos related to his life and his music on February 2, 2007. Patrick attended Wallenberg High School in San Francisco, graduating in 2004 after being held back one grade while in elementary school. He also attended Soko Gakuen Japanese School, and graduated and got certified around the same time he graduated from high school. He later attended CSU East Bay, graduating with a B.A in Philosophy and Music Composition in 2011. He began playing guitar at the age of 13 through his older cousin Andy, whom was living with his family at the time in San Francisco.

 

Patrick also began using YouTube as a platform dedicated to his life as an artist/musician and in general on February 2, 2007. After several years, his YouTube channel reached a respectable amount of recognition on the Internet. As of today, there are 400+ uploaded videos on his YouTube channel.

The Patrick Lew Band is largely influenced by the iconic Seattle grunge band Nirvana. 

Other key influences in the band and their music ranges from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Yutaka Ozaki, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Oasis, Miyavi, Guns N Roses, X Japan, Danny Chan, B'z, Beyond (HK Band), Hatsune Miku, BTS, Jim Johnston, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Nine Inch Nails, The White Stripes, Green Day, Blink 182, The Fall, The Sex Pistols, and many more. 

 

After a few home-recorded and professionally made albums between 2006 to 2012, the former band considered transitioning from an online collaboration to performing in live venues and recording at home as a local rock band. 

 

The idea eventually was abandoned, and Lew was dealing with a loveless relationship with his former fiancee, which affected and drained him mentally. Having played in the indie scene in many failed startup bands and false starts for over a decade, Patrick Lew seemed to have lost his passion for music. When his relationship with his then-fiancee ended, Lew decided to rekindle his passion for playing music and doing home recordings. 

 

The Patrick Lew Band as we know it started in 2015 as a personal home studio project where Lew would write songs or compose instrumental ideas and post them on social-media to see what comes out of it. 

 

Lew learned the hardship and frustration of getting his music out there in various platforms in the "commercial" and traditional music industry. He created his own indie label and named his home recording studio LEWNATIC, which foresees the releases of Patrick Lew Band related material through different platforms, such as digital downloads, CDs, etc. 

 

Despite some of the hardships and negativity that Lew has encountered during 2015 and some of 2016 related to detractors on social-media, the Patrick Lew Band maintained consistency and was experiencing a very creative period in their indie music career. By July 2016, the Patrick Lew Band won an award for Best Experimental Rock Song with the Akademia Music Awards. Lew also pursued side-projects and worked with other local musicians. 

 

Lew also began expanding PLB to where he originally wanted. And he self-released a few EPs with the Patrick Lew Band through Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and other sites. Regardless of what people thought of him in the past or present, Lew had enough music to release a full-length album. The loss of his beloved mother and a scabies scare temporarily prevented Lew from touring and promoting his new album . 

 

But with the blessings of positive outlooks and putting himself out there, Lew began working with promoters Afton to handle the booking for live local Patrick Lew Band shows. The Patrick Lew Band was booked to perform at the Brick & Mortar in San Francisco, California on August 6, 2017. Local hard rock radio station 107.7 THE BONE marketed the show. Low ticket sales however pushed the show to October 8th that year, which Lew performed a stunning and blistering five-song set at the venue. A recap video of the show can be found on Lew's YouTube channel. 

 

Also, the band introduced long lost sibling Madeline Lew as a full-time member on Halloween 2015. (SEE BAND BIO INTRO). And has remained a mainstay in the Patrick Lew Band since. 

The band just returned to full-time status in 2020. And they reached potentially prolific status with their music and brand in the indies and on social-media with what they do. Recent years proved to be very prosperous and helped the Patrick Lew Band reach new heights. Since then, the band's music has reached thousands of listeners in an estimated 51 different countries worldwide on Apple Music/iTunes. Subsequent reviews and press regarding PLB have been positive. Since 2020, PLB has been featured in numerous blogs and digital music magazines online. While Lew maintains his citizenship and residence in San Francisco, the band also began gravitating their musical focus to "break into" the Japanese music scene.

2020 and 2021 also saw the band continue and sustain their momentum as a Internet-based rock band. Conducting a few Livestream concerts on social-media, and gaining new legions and generation of followers. The band also released several albums during these two years respectively on iTunes and Spotify, including their first live album IN YOUR HOUSE! Rumors began to swirl in mid-2021 regarding the Patrick Lew Band's future online. However, the PLB released more new music going into the year 2022 online. 

On July 19, 2022, Patrick Lew signed a 1-year recording contract with Bentley Records under his band name LEWNATIC. Madeline Lew and Patrick Lew officially and mutually parted ways from the Patrick Lew Band, but insists, that the band will continue on making sporadic appearances and musical one-off's exclusively as an independent act. A press release annoucement from the two of them will air on Patrick Lew Hayashi's official YouTube channel at 9 PM on that same evening. 

The band PLB however, continues to be active on the Internet and on social-media! 

As artists, the main goal for Patrick and Madeline Lew of PLB is to bring their unique music worldwide without any limitations holding them back. They also want to add something positive to the world, the music scene, and the Asian-American community! In the 20+ years as an indie and personal home recording act, the band has seen, struggled, and triumphed. While the future remains unknown for the Patrick Lew Band, there should be more milestones and moments coming your way with PLB. Then. Now. And Forever!

MEET THE PLB BAND!

PATRICK LEW (林正道) - lead vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, piano, programming, drummer 

MADELINE LEW (林綾香) - keyboards, synthesizers, programming, bass, lead vocals 

THIS IS US!

The Patrick Lew Band Story

 

Patrick Lew Band (PLB)

EXPERIMENTAL // OVERSEAS (WORLDWIDE), DUBLIN // HE/SHE/THEY

Patrick Lew Hayashi has been active both locally and online in music since 2001. He was playing in various short-lived local bands in San Francisco before he pursued his music with the Patrick Lew Band worldwide. He originally started his main YouTube channel and began uploading his homemade videos related to his life and his music on February 2, 2007. 

Patrick attended Wallenberg High School in San Francisco, graduating in 2004 after being held back one grade while in elementary school. He also attended Soko Gakuen Japanese School, and graduated and got certified around the same time he graduated from high school. He later attended CSU East Bay, graduating with a B.A in Philosophy and Music Composition in 2011. He began playing guitar at the age of 13 through his older cousin Andy, whom was living with his family at the time in San Francisco.

Patrick also began using YouTube as a platform dedicated to his life as an artist/musician and in general on February 2, 2007. After several years, his YouTube channel reached a respectable amount of recognition on the Internet. As of today, there are 400+ uploaded videos on his YouTube channel.

The Patrick Lew Band is largely influenced by the iconic Seattle grunge band Nirvana. 

Other key influences in the band and their music ranges from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Yutaka Ozaki, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Oasis, Miyavi, Guns N Roses, X Japan, Danny Chan, B'z, Beyond (HK Band), Hatsune Miku, BTS, Jim Johnston, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Nine Inch Nails, The White Stripes, Green Day, Blink 182, The Fall, The Sex Pistols, and many more. 

After a few home-recorded and professionally made albums between 2006 to 2012, the former band considered transitioning from an online collaboration to performing in live venues and recording at home as a local rock band. 

The idea eventually was abandoned, and Lew was dealing with a loveless relationship with his former fiancee, which affected and drained him mentally. Having played in the indie scene in many failed startup bands and false starts for over a decade, Patrick Lew seemed to have lost his passion for music. When his relationship with his then-fiancee ended, Lew decided to rekindle his passion for playing music and doing home recordings. 

The Patrick Lew Band as we know it started in 2015 as a personal home studio project where Lew would write songs or compose instrumental ideas and post them on social-media to see what comes out of it. 

Despite some of the hardships and negativity that Lew has encountered during 2015 and some of 2016 related to detractors on social-media, the Patrick Lew Band maintained consistency and was experiencing a very creative period in their indie music career. By July 2016, the Patrick Lew Band won an award for Best Experimental Rock Song with the Akademia Music Awards. Lew also pursued side-projects and worked with other local musicians. 

Lew also began expanding PLB to where he originally wanted. And he self-released a few EPs with the Patrick Lew Band through Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and other sites. Regardless of what people thought of him in the past or present, Lew had enough music to release a full-length album. The loss of his beloved mother and a scabies scare temporarily prevented Lew from touring and promoting his new album . 

But with the blessings of positive outlooks and putting himself out there, Lew began working with promoters Afton to handle the booking for live local Patrick Lew Band shows. The Patrick Lew Band was booked to perform at the Brick & Mortar in San Francisco, California on August 6, 2017. Local hard rock radio station 107.7 THE BONE marketed the show. Low ticket sales however pushed the show to October 8th that year, which Lew performed a stunning and blistering five-song set at the venue. A recap video of the show can be found on Lew's YouTube channel. 

Also, the band introduced cosplay alter-ego Madeline Lew (marketed as Patrick's cousin) as a full-time member on Halloween 2015. 

Originally. the Patrick Lew Band unofficially disbanded by the end of 2017. As Patrick began playing with other local bands. Most notably, performing and recording with TheVerse and Crazy Loser in a Box. Madeline shifted her attention as mainly as a V-Idol and influencer during this period. 

The band just returned to full-time status in 2020. And they reached potentially prolific status with their music and brand in the indies and on social-media with what they do. Recent years proved to be very prosperous and helped the Patrick Lew Band reach new heights. Since then, the band's music has reached thousands of listeners in an estimated 51 different countries worldwide on Apple Music/iTunes. Subsequent reviews and press regarding PLB have been positive. 

From 2020 onward since returning to pursuing their passion for making music, the Patrick Lew Band (PLB) decided to transition their project into an exclusively Internet Only type of band. 

Since 2020, PLB has been featured in numerous blogs and digital music magazines online. While Lew maintains his citizenship and residence in San Francisco, the band also began gravitating their musical focus to "break into" the music scene worldwide.

2020 and 2021 also saw the band continue and sustain their momentum as a Internet-based rock band. Conducting a few Livestream concerts on social-media, and gaining new legions and generation of followers. The band also released several albums during these two years respectively on iTunes and Spotify, including their first live album IN YOUR HOUSE! Rumors began to swirl in mid-2021 regarding the Patrick Lew Band's future online. However, the PLB released more new music going into the year 2022 online. 

The band PLB remains active on social-media and as an Internet-based band!

LEWNATIC - THE BAND BIO

LEWNATIC415 is a hard rock band that was created by Patrick Lew Hayashi, who is best known for his indie music career and his work with the Patrick Lew Band and TheVerse. Born to a Chinese father and Japanese mother of mixed descent, Patrick began playing guitar at age 13 when his cousin Andy was living with his family while studying at a community college as an International Student. He began his indie music career in 2001, playing guitar and singing in his high school band, which later would evolve into the Patrick Lew Band. Patrick is also a moderately known influencer, having been making YouTube videos online since 2007 at age 21.

In July 2019, during the second year of Patrick Lew Band’s (PLB) hiatus, Patrick began brainstorming ideas to go “back-to-basics” with his music as a solo artist. 

Much of the 2010s was dedicated to experimenting with many different styles of music (particularly prog-rock and EDM) as a semi-professional musician with PLB. After completing and serving four years touring and recording with the San Francisco shoegaze/post-punk band TheVerse, Patrick Lew was without an active band and left without any musical ideas for the first time since 2013. 

Patrick decided to return to his gritty, abrasive and in-your-face metal, hard rock and garage punk sound for his new idea as a musician and guitarist. For the first few weeks, he asked his friends on his Facebook page about ideas potentially for a new band name for his new heavy metal music project. Initially, the band was known as Lewnatic Park. Shortly after, Patrick dropped “Park” in the band name, concerned that the audience would mistake his new project as a Linkin Park cover band, and out of respect for the band’s frontman Chester Bennington (who died in 2017). He eventually settled on the official name Lewnatic (a spoonerism of his father’s surname “Lew” and “Lunatic”) when pursuing this new music project of his. 

Lewnatic’s sound is best described as garage punk, hard rock, metal. They take some of the heavier and rocking elements from the early 2010s era PLB sound, except very modern. Another way to describe Lewnatic’s music is a modernization of hard rock bands from circa 1992. 

In August 2019, the band Lewnatic traveled to Japan for a week for musical and leisure related purposes. Playing a few very low-key and underground punk shows in Japan. He returned to his hometown San Francisco by the end of month, and began occasionally jamming with Filipino-American rapper A. K.AYE at his home studio.  

Between November 2019 to March 2020, Lewnatic would work with their booking agents Afton Shows and began performing monthly residencies at San Francisco’s historic DNA Lounge. On their December 15, 2019 performance, A. K. AYE made his first live appearance onstage with Patrick at the club. This improvised and spontaneous live performance would become their debut album Brotherhood, released worldwide via CDBaby in early 2020. On March 8, 2020, Patrick and A. K.AYE would perform one more show at DNA Lounge before the COVID-19 pandemic hit worldwide and forced all musicians to cancel their plans and go into complete Quarantine.

For the next two years, Patrick returned to performing, recording and live-streaming webcasts with the Bay Area band that made him sort of famous globally with his cousin Madeline Lew, the Patrick Lew Band.  Embarking on their most prolific stage as artists. By this point, the Patrick Lew Band began receiving recognition and exposure worldwide and online. As bloggers and curators began writing about PLB more positively and they began putting Patrick Lew Band’s music more out there to the public. 

Lewnatic would eventually return from hiatus in early 2022, as COVID-19 pandemic began winding down considerably and quietly in the San Francisco Bay Area. He began working with his booking agents Afton Shows again. The band Lewnatic (sans A. K.AYE) once again performed live music at DNA Lounge on February 20, 2022. 

The band’s live setup and tech rider is based on minimalism and convenience when traveling with Patrick’s guitar rig. Instead of bringing his 50 watt Marshall amp and lots of gear in an Uber ride to venues he’s booked to perform for the evening, most of Lewnatic’s live gear is based off a virtual guitar amp and backing tracks on Patrick’s laptop. Alongside, an inexpensive audio DI box and Fender Telecaster. 

As a live musical act, the band Lewnatic performs a mix of PLB and solo heavy rock inspired material that Patrick created mostly without Madeline and Madoku involved in the Patrick Lew Band. The musical arrangements vary and are different for every performance every night! 

During the end of March 2022, Lewnatic began recording their second album Strictly Prohibited at their home studio in San Francisco. On one of the new upcoming tracks “As Gritty As I Want To Be,” Patrick’s relative Madeline Lew makes a guest appearance as a lead singer. The music creation for the entire album was finished in less than a week reportedly, and is currently pending to be released worldwide on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube through their distributor CDBaby online. 

Lewnatic is set to perform a virtual concert inside their rehearsal space. Which is set to world premiere on Patrick Lew Band’s YouTube channel on May 1, 2022 at 7:15 PM (PST)! 

The main motives for doing the band Lewnatic is to have fun, play heavy music and not take life and music in general so seriously. And the occasional punk rock show, whether it be a webcast or at the local dive bar! A lot of musical ideas in the studio that was omitted from PLB will be compiled exclusively for the band Lewnatic in the near future! 

PLB (Patrick Lew Band) Press Biography

PATRICK LEW BAND (PLB) is an Asian-American rock band formed in San Francisco, California by singer, guitarist, YouTuber and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Lew Hayashi (born Patrick Allan Lew; November 15, 1985). 

The band PLB was previously known under various guises and pseudonyms. They were previously a dysfunctional and inconsistent type of local punk rock band (with 4 or 5 members previously) before becoming the solo project of Patrick Lew. In addition to guitar and vocals, Lew plays all or most of the instruments on the records. Since 2016, the band PLB is largely an Internet-based rock band from San Francisco and mostly participates in home recording and occasional live performances locally. 

The band also features a virtual band member and bassist named Madeline Lew, marketed as Patrick's younger sister in storyline. The band's bassist Madeline was created through modern smartphone apps such as FaceApp and Reface. Alongside, other digital special effects and sophisticated editing such as cosplaying as her character in the band. 

He is currently an unsigned independent musician but he is distributing his music through his own label Lewnatic Records. Since mid-2020, the Patrick Lew Band (PLB) has expanded and reportedly reached 51 countries worldwide on the Internet in the modern era of Internet indie music, despite having very little or no mainstream presence, marketing or promotion from the media. Most of PLB's credentials came thanks to the Internet through bloggers/curators and digital music magazines writing about the Patrick Lew Band.   

THE HISTORY

Patrick Lew Hayashi has been active locally and online in music since 2001. He was playing in various short-lived local bands in San Francisco before pursuing his music in general with the Patrick Lew Band worldwide. He originally started his main YouTube channel and began uploading his homemade videos related to his life and his music on February 2, 2007. Patrick attended Wallenberg High School in San Francisco, graduating in 2004 after being held back one grade while in elementary school. He also attended Soko Gakuen Japanese School, and graduated and got certified around the same time he graduated from high school. He later attended CSU East Bay, graduating with a B.A in Philosophy and Music Composition in 2011. He began playing guitar at the age of 13 through his older cousin Andy, whom was living with his family at the time in San Francisco while attending a community college as an International Student.   

Patrick was born on November 15, 1985 to a Chinese father and a Japanese mother of mixed descent. He mostly grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. His upbringing was rather tense and unstable, but Patrick often maintains that he had a happy childhood for the most part. To make up for his problems during childhood and while going to school, he turned to rock music, video games, professional wrestling and TV shows for comfort. And he often traveled with his family for vacations in foreign countries (such as Hong Kong) and other places common with tourists, such as Las Vegas and Hollywood. 

The Patrick Lew Band was previously an inconsistent would-be punk rock band between friends and former schoolmates. They performed under many "guises" such as Famiglia, Samurai Sorcerers, Band of Asians, Dexter Rotten, Patrick and Greg Blues Band and so forth. The band PLB was evolved and rebranded from these previous short-lived local bands around mid-2008 via the band's MySpace blog. 

Patrick also began using YouTube as a platform dedicated to his life as an artist/musician and in general on February 2, 2007. Although, it would take several years for his YouTube channel to reach a small dose of recognition on the Internet. As of today, there are 400+ uploaded videos on his YouTube channel since he first created his account back in 2007.  

After a few home-recorded demo albums between 2006 to 2012, the former band talked about making their band to transition from being an online collaboration to becoming in between a live performing and home recording local rock band. However, tensions flared within the band over creative and religious differences. Lew wanted to take his band and put it out there to see where the band's music would go, whereas the other band members were uninterested in pursuing a secular area in the music business. 

The idea eventually was abandoned, and Lew was dealing with a loveless relationship with his former fiancee which affected and drained him mentally. Having played in the indie scene in many failed startup bands and false starts for over a decade, Patrick Lew seemed to have lost his passion for music. When his relationship with his then-fiancee ended, Lew decided to rekindle his passion for playing music and doing home recording. 

The Patrick Lew Band as we know it now started in 2015 as a home studio project where Lew would write songs or compose instrumental ideas and post them on social-media to see what comes out of it. 

Having learned the hardship and frustration of getting his music out there in various platforms in the "commercial" and traditional music industry. Lew created his own indie label and named his home recording studio LEWNATIC which foresees the releases of Patrick Lew Band related material through different platforms such as digital downloads, CDs and etc etc. 

Despite some of the hardships and negativity that Lew has encountered during 2015 and some of 2016, the Patrick Lew Band maintained consistency and was experiencing a very creative period in their indie music career. By July 2016, the Patrick Lew Band won an award for Best Experimental Rock Song with the Akademia Music Awards. Lew also pursued side-projects and worked with other local musicians. 

Lew also began expanding PLB to where he originally wanted. And he self-released a few EPs with the Patrick Lew Band through Bandcamp, Soundcloud and other sites. Having enough music to release a full-length album regardless of what people thought of him in the past or present day. The loss of his beloved mother and a scabies scare prevented Lew from touring and promoting his new album temporarily. 

But with the blessings of positive outlooks and putting himself out there. Lew began working with promoters Afton to handle the booking for live Patrick Lew Band shows locally. The Patrick Lew Band was booked to perform at the Brick & Mortar in San Francisco, California on August 6, 2017 originally. Even local hard rock radio station 107.7 THE BONE marketed the show. Low ticket sales however pushed the show to October 8th that year, which Lew performed a stunning and blistering five-song set at the venue. A recap video of the show can be found on Lew's YouTube channel. 

Also, the band introduced long lost sibling Madeline Lew as a full-time member on Halloween 2015. (SEE BAND BIO INTRO). And has remained a mainstay in the Patrick Lew Band since. 

The band just returned to full-time status in 2020. And reached potentially prolific status with their music and brand in the indies and on social-media with what they do. Recent years proved to be very prosperous and helped the Patrick Lew Band reach new heights. Since then, the band's music has reached thousands of listeners in estimated 51 different countries worldwide on Apple Music/iTunes. And subsequent reviews and press regarding PLB (Patrick Lew Band) has been more positive. By this stage, the band PLB has been featured in numerous blogs and digital music magazines online since 2020. And the band also began gravitating their focus in music by attempting to "break into" the Japanese music scene and Japan, while maintaining their citizenship and residence in San Francisco. 

Patrick and Madeline Lew of the band PLB's main goal as artists is to bring their unique music worldwide without any limits or anything else holding them back. And present something positive to the world, the music scene and the Asian-American community!   

With the recent release of Patrick Lew Band's latest music Rolling Thunder through CDBaby, Spotify, Apple Music and other platforms. And Patrick Lew is currently working full-time at Safeway outside of the music and entertainment industry. But Patrick Lew Hayashi plans to accomplish more with what he is set out to do with his music! 

MUSICAL INFLUENCES

The Patrick Lew Band is largely influenced by the iconic Seattle grunge band Nirvana. Other key influences in the band and their music ranges from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Yutaka Ozaki, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Oasis, Miyavi, Guns N Roses, X Japan, Beyond (HK Band), Hatsune Miku, BTS, Jim Johnston, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Nine Inch Nails, The White Stripes, Green Day, Blink 182, The Fall, The Sex Pistols and many more. 

The Band:

Patrick Lew - lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, slide guitar, piano, programming, drums, percussion. 

Madeline Lew - keyboards, synthesizers, bass, lead vocals, programming, turntables. 

Hear More: https://open.spotify.com/artist/76q8r......

Facebook Behind the Music - Patrick Lew Band (PLB)

 

Some artists, more than others, remind you of how much there is to discover when it comes to music and art. And you know it now, our redaction's mission is to discover unique creations made by the artists of tomorrow. The Patrick Lew Band, which we have just discovered, belongs to this category! The band PLB (Patrick Lew Band) is a Sino-Japanese punk rock band from San Francisco, California. They have been active on-and-off from 2001 to the present day. They play and compose a bunch of different styles of music: Rock, Electronic, and Metal mostly! This is an established group that has been around for over a decade, yet still maintains a fresh sound and youthful enthusiasm. The song combines elements of metal, punk, and good old rock and roll. A good way to describe it would be if you combined heavy metal guitars with old school punk.  There's some really excellent guitar and bass playing on this track, much more technical and polished than what one normally expects from this genre. This demonstrates the band's experience and professionalism, with the slick solos and razor-sharp timing. Listening to PLB is the guarantee to be captivated into sensations and to finally plunge into something new.  Don't waste a second and live the experience right now! More information about Patrick Lew Band (PLB). Music is to the soul what words are to the mind. And "Patrick Lew Band" or also known as PLB is one such amazing music group. Based out of San Francisco, they have roots all across the globe which includes places like Japan and Taiwan. With their mesmerizing music and creative talents, Patrick Lew Band has achieved widespread fame and the love of millions of fans. Dominating the Electronic, rock, and garage punk scene, their music makes you feel alive and overall radiates positivity. The founder of the Patrick Lew Band is a phenomenally talented artist called Patrick Allan Lew who is an Asian American. Passionate and dedicated, Patrick has been evolving and honing his skills, delivering stunning results. Taking inspiration from legendary music artists like the "The Beatles", "The Rolling Stones, "Nirvana" and "The Kinks", Patrick combined his musical talents and created a fresh and unique music style of his own. His creations have a fusion of fire and ice, combining the best of all the musical elements. Music is the shorthand of emotion, and the way Patrick pours out his emotions into melody is remarkable. With peppy and energetic music, Patrick Lew Band is one of the rising talents of the music industry. Creating dynamic and sensational music, Patrick Lew Band has earned a name for themselves, and the love of thousands of fans. This sensational music band is comprised of some talented and passionate individuals which include Patrick Lew, Madeline Lew, David Arceo, Eddie Blackburn, and Tommy Loi. Together, these musicians combine their talents and create awe-inspiring music. The Patrick Lew Band has a unique style of creating music, and their creations take its audience into a whole new dimension, making them experience pure bliss and nirvana through melody. Patrick Lew himself is a passionate and talented individual, with a drive inside him that pushed him ahead in life, evolving and growing his skills. Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Patrick had incorporated music into his life since a very young age. The American singer, songwriter, and Kamikaze guitarist is always on the grind, honing and improving his craft. Along with his musical adventures, Patrick is also well known on the internet as an inspiring and talented influencer, with an ever-growing Instagram and YouTube Handel. Patrick is also the first Japanese-American male who is a 40 under 40 Hall of Fame Class of 2019 inductee, at the California State University - East Bay. Over time, Patrick has grown and evolved the Patrick Lew Band and their punk rock music has inspired and touched millions of lives. Patrick himself has had a remarkable journey and career being an independent music artist. The music industry is a dynamic and challenging universe, with place only for the best and most talented individuals, and Patrick and his music band have earned a place for themselves with their sensational and addictive music. And as you might have heard, "Music once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies". The modern era of music has given way to enigmas and artists of all shapes and forms who break the norm of what we have come to expect as far as what an artist truly is. The Patrick Lew Band is one such entity that epitomises the essence of the modern era. A multi-talented Sino-Japanese rock band lead by Patrick Lew, and his alter ego sister Madeline Lew. Patrick was born in San Francisco, CA. The Band is making music that is thoughtful, conscious and driven by a desire to motivate, inspire, comfort and spread love and joy to all those that hear it. Born to a Chinese father and a Japanese mother of mixed descent, his journey in music really began in 2001 while he was still in high school and eventually playing in various bands. He later attended California State University East Bay in Hayward, CA, and graduated with a B.A in Philosophy and minored in Music Composition. After the creation of his fictional twin sister Madeline Lew through special effects and Photoshop Patrick then transitioned into making his own music with the Patrick Lew Band. It was during this period of evolution that the Band's creativity and undeniable talent began to shine through. They ultimately developed a style of making music that is transparent, daring, full of hope and reflective of their experiences. The band's goal is to become a voice of the Asian-American community and shed light to an underrepresented minority in the American music industry. The band is focused on becoming a worldwide phenomenon and touching as many lives as possible regardless of race, age, religion and sexual orientation. The Band's music is an encapsulation of their thoughts and ambitions, turning pain into purpose and lessons into studio sessions. Patrick Lew Band has had a vast array of musical influences, however they accredit the pivotal influences in the music to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Yutaka Ozaki, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Miyavi, X Japan, BTS, The Sex Pistols, Oasis, Green Day, Guns N Roses, The Fall, Beyond (Hong Kong Band), Jim Johnston, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, 2Pac, The White Stripes, The Kinks, Hatsune Miku, Led Zeppelin, Motley Crue, Silverchair, Michael Jackson, Danny Chan, Prince, The Velvet Underground, The Clash, B'z, Guitar Wolf, CFO$, Public Enemy, White Lion, and The Faces.. This all culminates in the Patrick Lew Band producing a musical experience that is enjoyable, easy going and fun but still seeks to provoke thought. The Band uses music as a vehicle to express perspectives and tell stories. Patrick Lew Band currently has 12 official projects in their repertoire namely, Jump! Rattle! And Roll!!! (2006), Let It Rise and Against (2009), Murder Bay (2011), Angry Yellow - EP (2012), Bubblegum Babylon (2015), Oakland (2017), Cold Sirens (2017), History Pt. 1: 2001-2016 Boxed Set (2018), Immortality (2020), Codebreaker (2020), Rolling Thunder (2020), No Sleep Till San Francisco! (2021), and XClamation (2021). The PLB will be releasing more music that will serve as motivation to face the new challenges that every day brings. The ambition is for the music to fully empower the people worldwide and make them have positive vibes all around them. To turn every negative situation into a positive one, and have a good time. Their music will showcase their lyricism in a uniquely constructed piece of musical artistry with a sound exhibits not only versatility and prowess but will surely cement their style and pave the way for the varied expressions of their musical ideas and artistic craft. This is the music that will push the boundaries of our perception as well as inspire and drive us to introspective conversations. It's the music that may not change the world, but can change the people in the world. MEET THE PLB BAND! PATRICK LEW (林正道) - lead vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, piano, programming, virtual drummer  MADELINE LEW (林綾香) - keyboards, synthesizers, programming, bass, lead vocals  MADOKU RAYE (マドックー・アー・アー・ワイー・イー) - lead vocals

Patrick Lew: The Man Behind The Band Lewnatic/PLB

 

BEHIND THE MUSIC

Patrick Lew was born on November 15, 1985 in San Francisco, California to a Chinese father and Japanese mother of mixed descent. He grew up in the Bay Area. 

His early interests were wrestling, video games and cable television programming. He became interested in rock music at an early age. He began playing guitar when his cousin Andy was living with him briefly while studying at a community college as an International Student. He took a couple guitar lessons, but is mostly self-taught as a musician. He began his indie music career in 2001 on the Northern California independent circuit as Patrick Lew Band at the young age of 15. Mostly participating in home recording and occasional live performances. By 2004, the Patrick Lew Band landed a record deal with Statue Records through their MySpace page and has earned a number of accolades for his work with PATRICK LEW BAND. Patrick attended Wallenberg High School in San Francisco and graduated in 2003. He would later attend California State University, East Bay and studied Philosophy. He graduated from college in mid-2011 with a Bachelors Degree in Philosophy. 

After several line-up changes and personal setbacks, the Patrick Lew Band slowly but surely gradually gained belated success in the regional music scene and on the Internet by 2016. The band's 2009 release Let It Rise and Against brought him his initial fame and notoriety in music. The Patrick Lew Band would begin to make an impact during 2016 and 2017, being mentioned on-air on the San Francisco classic rock radio station 107.7 THE BONE and winning the July 2016 Akademia Music Award for Best Rock Song with PLB. Around that same period, Patrick created a cyber band member in PLB also marketed as his fictional younger sister Madeline Lew through digital face & gender swapping apps. Madeline would join the band PLB on October 31, 2015 and has became a mainstay in the Patrick Lew Band since.

Following his induction into CSU East Bay's 2019 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame, Patrick Lew Band broke up for a second time. Using Patrick Lew Band as a platform to branch his talents and his passion for playing music with other local bands. Because of that, he has also played guitar in the Shoegaze band TheVerse. Alongside temporarily being a fill-in bass player for two bands: Pleasure Gallows and The Tortured. Between 2017 and 2020 during PLB's second hiatus, Patrick has played music in a variety of local Bay Area bands and branched outside of his own primary band PLB in the scene. 

After PLB initially disbanded for the second time in June 2019, he eventually formed a new heavy metal and hard rock inspired solo project under the name LEWNATIC. Going "back to basics" as a performer and semi- pro musician. He quickly began playing a few low-key open mic performances in Japan by the end of the Summer. He retired the PLB name temporarily, as he began performing locally under the name "LEWNATIC." LEWNATIC has self-released a live recording of their November 3, 2019 performance at San Francisco's DNA Lounge on music streaming services. The band LEWNATIC would become monthly residents at DNA Lounge as live performers. 

In March 2020, LEWNATIC went on a hiatus as Patrick returned to making music and digital content with Patrick Lew Band with his sister Madeline Lew. For the next year-and- a-quarter, Patrick Lew Band was rigorously active in the indie music scene by putting out a lot of new digital content, doing live stream concerts, and using their house in San Francisco as a musical stage. 

The band just reached potentially prolific status with their music and brand in the indies and on social- media with what they do. Recent years proved to be very prosperous and helped the Patrick Lew Band reach new heights. Since then, the band's music has reached thousands of listeners in 34 different countries worldwide on Apple Music/iTunes. And subsequent reviews and press regarding PLB (Patrick Lew Band) has been more positive. 

By mid-2021 however, the Patrick Lew Band began slowing down their activity because of Patrick's 9 to 5 job at SAFEWAY. Only sporadically making appearances in the studio and in public. There's been rumors circulating about Patrick rebranding the PLB under the name LEWNATIC or even permanently retiring the "Patrick Lew Band" name. So far, these sources have been rather unclear. The future remains uncertain, but Patrick Lew insists that he will continue making music and YouTube videos with Patrick Lew Band. So far, Patrick Lew Band has released and published at least 12 full-length albums worldwide on Spotify and Apple Music. 

On October 8, 2021, Patrick's former girlfriend and close friend Madoku officially joined the Patrick Lew Band as a lead vocalist and full-time band member. 

LEWNATIC officially returned to live performances and as a touring solo act on February 20, 2022 at DNA Lounge in San Francisco. 

PERSONAL LIFE & OTHER PROJECTS 

Outside of music, he has acted in community theater and made a cameo appearance in an episode 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 SAFEWAY as a Grocery Team Member. 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. 

Patrick was previously engaged from a former toxic relationship. He is currently happily single and living with his family and dogs in the Excelsior District in San Francisco. He has also dated his PLB bandmate Madeline on-and-off. He also previously dated his bandmate Yandie/Madoku from their band Crazy Loser in a Box! briefly in 2018. Currently, Patrick is dating Instagram influencer Shon Tullie.

Patrick identifies himself as Agnostic. He is also friends with Bay Area bands Hemorage, The Tortured, The Residuals, Akai Sky, The Porno Riots and SourFlower. And he is also close friends with fellow EDM DJ Robert Pan. 

In mid-2021, he achieved a lifelong dream by virtually interacting with Japanese porn star Yukari Orihara via Instagram. 

Patrick's hobbies outside of music also include sports (mostly professional wrestling), video games, cats, commercial driving, reading and watching television.

The Future?

Patrick Lew Band (PLB) will continue making music and putting out fresh new digital content in the foreseeable future. We ain't going anywhere or deactivating the project any time soon. 

However, our touring and live performances will have to officially go on an indefinite hiatus. 

I work at Safeway full-time, and is more willing or open to tour and perform shows in any band outside of PLB when necessary and sporadically. Whereas, Madeline Lew is more of a Meg White type in the band when it comes to touring and playing live shows. 

I've been performing and recording with the band PLB for 20 years already. As a matter of fact, 3/4 of my lifespan so far was dedicated to being PLB on social-media and doing PLB in the music scene! I was 15 years old when I created the band PLB back in high school. Now I'm 36 almost. So that's more than half my life in the world of indie music doing Patrick Lew Band on-and-off. 

This isn't me or her saying the band PLB is gonzo or done for good. Not at all! It's me saying, "we're still together and rocking but moving onto a completely all-new chapter creatively in the PLB band saga." Something that is unpredictable and also exciting at the same time where the pressure ain't on us to be like other local bands out there perhaps.

The plan for PLB in the future? 

It's up in the air really.

I think 2021 or 2022 could be it for the Patrick Lew Band. All me and my crossdressing alter-ego (little sister in fiction) Madeline promised was just one more album. That's all. 

Plus, I think I accomplished and did all that I could with PLB. I only brought back Patrick Lew Band in March 2020 after a three-year sabbatical to finish some unsettled business and goals I had in mind in the music industry. And COVID too. I wanted to prove to everyone I still got what it took to put my PLB out there as much as I could really! Because when my mom died in 2017, that was the end of my full-time run with PLB but not the way I originally wanted to end my career and tenure with Patrick Lew Band! 

Once PLB is done and calls it a day. And writes our final chapter in the saga. I plan on rebooting my music career under the "LEWNATIC" band name. And also, retire the Madeline Lew gimmick (breaking kayfabe) in my music, although Madeline helped me reach a new level of success in indie music. 

Now that I've possibly reached as far as I had with PLB, you see man, I always wanted to end Patrick Lew Band on my own terms and when I'm on top of my A-game! I didn't want PLB (me and Madeline) to become old and way past our prime still doing the Patrick Lew Band. There's bands in their 50s and 60s still singing the same hit songs from 40 years ago! And we didn't want to do that.

The first thing I said to myself was, "I always wanted PLB to end our career in music on top of our A-game and at our very highest!"

Some teasers for my post-PLB music. 

I was gonna revive the band and project Lewnatic and call our albums Rage in a Cage. But each album will be divided by Volume number. Lolz. 

And all our music and songs will sound like Hardcore Wrestling and video game music and shit. 

I don't have to prove anything to anyone musically and in the scene as a solo artist. Just have fun with it!

I'm thinking of doing more METAL type of music but not with PLB of course. 

PLB is all about rock and roll spectacle and showmanship. And taking over. This idea I conceived for a metal band happened on July 2, 2019. It was to keep it hella underground and low-key. 

Metal isn't supposed to be mainstream typically, that's why I conceived an extreme metal band. To showcase my least impressive song ideas, because when I do rock out and jam on most days, it sounds like bad Norwegian black metal. Nothing like how PLB does it in the recording studio. PLB is a very ambitious and meticulous studio band.

But it could either be a revival of my Lewnatic gimmick or even with another brand spanking new band in-the-future. Like if I write 30 songs a year again, and all of them ain't good...They're going to be put into another band or project of mines. I save all my best ideas for PLB for sure. Lol. 

Lewnatic (pre-Benigneglect) was intended to be a Death/Thrash Metal project of mines. And all the songs I wrote stored somewhere on my cloud storage and hard drive were a pile of crap compared to PLB's worst albums even. And 98% of those demos never got posted online. 

Of course, nothing will ever top PLB. That's the band that put me on the map to the moon and back on everyone's smartphones or computers online. This idea I had for a metal band wasn't intended to have bangers and hits like PLB had. 

Almost every song I wrote in pre-Benigneglect then known as Lewnatic were very crappy death metal songs. 

Spoiler for this idea...There won't be a Sister Madeline in this project. She's cool with it though. 

We'll see how this plans out. When I cross that line, I will let you know how that goes. 

I think there's a lot of grind mentally to do PLB always, because everything has to try and be THE BEST IN THE WORLD when it comes to my first major band. Doing Lewnatic again would be great, because I get to showcase my crappiest songs I wrote and it would still get the mosh pit going!

Again, we'll have to wait and see.

The main plan for Patrick Lew Band (PLB) is to keep it exclusively a studio recording type of multimedia project. 

Patrick and his Sister Madeline decided against touring behind PLB, but will remain active in the studio like our childhood idols The Beatles did later on in their careers! We will use the studio not only as a musical arsenal, but to broaden what PLB could possibly be as a platform! The possibilities are endless, especially with live streaming and advancements in digital technology!

We've been thinking of other digital platforms for PLB. Like music videos, we are currently working with local photographer James Conrad for those projects. Releasing some mini-documentaries about what we do. And Madeline will entertain you all with her sleek, sexy and bubbly persona online. 

The music was just too sophisticated to bring as a live act. We don't want to invest in an ensemble or orchestra to go out and tour as PLB after the pandemic almost fully winds down. It's not a feasible option for us. We also didn't appreciate being in the limelight at times, because some people took us for granted on social-media, especially during 2019 and 2020. 

Because of that. We're retreating from potentially commercial fame, we're pulling back from being swallowed by the mainstream. Instead, we are putting all our energies to making PLB more than just about the music...But as a global entity that transcends all platforms and mediums. 

For touring purposes, Patrick (yours truly) will go on tour and play live shows under the nickname "LEWNATIC415" and maybe even with other bands, if available or open to the idea, depending on the circumstances. 

LEWNATIC415 is intended strictly as a one-man rock showm, some side-men involved too maybe. With the advancements of today's musical and digital technology, and Patrick's guitar playing skills. This would be the touring format for Patrick as a live performer and entertainer. There will be synths, guitars, drum machines, vocals and other gadgets all being manipulated by one man onstage...Patrick Lew. Lol. 

Madeline does not (kayfabe) want to tour. Shifting her main focus on plus-sized modeling, photography and other ventures. But will remain a key member in PLB in the studio. In short, she hasn't quit the Patrick Lew Band or was fired from it. She has different preferences when it comes to being a musician. 

Despite musical and creative differences, there's no beef between me and the sista Maddie. Our relationship and morale is stronger (kayfabe) now than it was just a few years back!

Currently, there are no plans to tour and play shows with Patrick and Madeline's other band Crazy Loser in a Box! But the two will continue making some unique music with the band and putting it out there, despite their grueling scheduled appearances and occasional rigorous activity in PLB.

Sincerely, 
Patrick Lew, Madeline Lew and Co. (on behalf of PLB)