Guestbook

<div style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 8px;"><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Patrick Lew</strong>&nbsp;(born 15 November 1985) is an Asian American rock musician, songwriter, guitar player, artist and Internet celebrity. Best known for creating music in his one man "rock" band Patrick Lew's Band and currently, Hidden Chaos, as he is&nbsp;hyping and posting his music online. He was also a part of two other local Bay Area bands, Silent Minister and Band of Asians. Alongside, the virtual rock band When the City Riots.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Early Years</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Patrick Lew was raised by his mother Winnie and his father Wilson in San Francisco, California. He has an older brother, Ricky. Early in his life, Patrick was into drawing and creative writing. Unfortunately, most of the time, Patrick felt somewhat or often neglected in his family home and even in school. Patrick Lew had went through many struggles growing up in life, and had issues related to self-doubt, conflict and isolation from some of the schoolmates and related people around him.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">However, Patrick got into music at a very early age, becoming a life-long fanatic of The Beatles at the age of 2. He began playing violin when he was 7 years old, based on a recommendation from his elementary school's counselors to encourage him as an artist and pursuing his artistic and musical interests and talents. He later switched to piano as he took music courses in both instruments in both, his elementary school and a Chinese youth arts &amp; music program in Cumberland Church at San Francisco's Chinatown. His musical awakening Patrick told the online sources, was initially 80's hair metal such as Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses. Along with Nirvana and the Seattle grunge phenomenon. He first became very interested in punk music and culture, through a schoolmate named Spencer in middle school. Such punk influences were The Sex Pistols and contemporary punk revival bands at the time such as Green Day, Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion and Husker Du.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Patrick Lew's interests in music eventually led him to buying his first guitar at a department store on his 13th birthday. Becoming a musician wasn't his first calling Patrick's friends remembered, he was into extreme sports and had some talent as an athlete in basketball, skateboarding and mostly. Backyard wrestling. However, Patrick soon distanced himself from Athletic hobbies for art and music.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Musical Pursuits</strong></span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Patrick Lew's Band (2001-Present)</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Main article: Patrick Lew's Band</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When Patrick first took guitar lessons at Serramonte Music Center and Chinatown in San Francisco, Patrick met a childhood friend and later his high school classmate, drummer Tommy Loi. Eventually, they began playing music amateurishly in Patrick's bedroom with their musical instruments as a hobby. Attempting to play their own unusual style of hard rock music as amateur musicians. When both Patrick and Tommy graduated from middle school, they went into Raoul Wallenberg High School. And through their mutual schoolmate and friend Joey Fitz, was introduced to guitar wizard and teenage musician Eddie Blackburn. And after Patrick often wanted to play music with other musicians or schoolmates from his social-networking in a "real" rock band. Patrick, Eddie and Tommy formed the rock project "Silent Minister" which became Patrick's secondary band he played in outside his own solo music. On May 12, 2001, Patrick Lew began promoting his own music for both his solo project and Silent Minister online. Making websites for both bands he played and made music in.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Eventually, Silent Minister would play many local live events in San Francisco and Daly City, but their shows were reportedly poorly attended or vaguely recognized. And none of their live performances were bootlegged, due to lack of their networking bringing in audio/video recording devices such as digital cameras. At the time, Patrick was interested in pursuing his dreams and journey of success in the rock music industry, but has now since pursued music as a passionate hobby and sometimes pursues his one man "rock" band seriously as a solo musician or playing guitar in other local garage bands and projects.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In 2008, Patrick Lew became a solo musician after both his former local bands "Silent Minister" and "Band of Asians" had parted company. He began taking his musical pursuits as a one man "rock" band by making music at his home on a computer and his variety of guitar and musical equipment. And posting all his song ideas via MP3 file online on many of the websites he promotes his music on. He created Patrick Lew's Band as a mixed creation and resume of all the things he's accomplished and related recordings he had made in Silent Minister, Band of Asians and as a solo musician. Having experienced many years taking music seriously, he still would be open about getting opportunities within music. But for various reasons, mainly took his interest as a one man "rock" band by recording all his songs and instrumentals in his bedroom home recording studio, and hyping and getting Patrick Lew's Band heard from there.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">He would release his third album with Patrick Lew's Band called "Curb Your Wild Life" in early 2009. It was also his first proper solo album, as he played every instrument and created everything on the album. "Curb Your Wild Life" also experimented with old and new sounds, retaining some of his teenage style but creating a broader range of sounds and styles. And experimenting more with songwriting, which Patrick was improving musically at the time. By the end of the decade, he released his fourth album often self-referred as his "masterpiece" called "Let It Rise And Against" which Patrick experimented with a rock opera with his record. On May 8, 2010, Patrick Lew's Band with college friend Greg Lynch on guitar taped a band practice DVD.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Since the summer of 2010, Patrick Lew's Band had expanded its musical adverising through its DIY online. While still a home musician hobby, Lew has intended to take his music more seriously when playing in bands rather than a solo artist. A stop-gap album of new material, "Slaves to Mass Reality" could be released and self-promoted via Internet and iTunes some time possibly around 2011 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Patrick Lew's arrival into the underground music scene and networking.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Band of Asians (2005-2008)</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Band of Asians was Patrick Lew's former local band he played guitar in with his schoolmates from City College, picking up where Silent Minister left off ambitiously. Featuring Patrick and his close friends from community college, keyboardist Zack Huang and drummer Dave Arceo. Patrick wanted to record and experiment with musical ideas he and Silent Minister wanted to do, but became Patrick and Zack's priority to create. They recorded a live concert album at their tape recital on May 8, 2006 called "Band of Asians, Live!" and their only studio album "Revenge." After recording their only album in the studio, the Band of Asians toured locally. Performing song ideas Patrick had composed originally as a solo musician and artist but brought to the band. However, after the tour ended. Band of Asians dwindled its lineup to Patrick and Dave for differences in personal priorities, and tensions mounted in the band. Eventually, leading Patrick Lew to continue as a solo musician and one man band.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">To this day, only Patrick Lew formerly of Band of Asians remains consistently active in a musical pursuit. However, former Band of Asians drummer Dave Arceo resurfaced recently in October 2010 as a singer for a Ska/Alternative Rock garage band with his new social-networking. Out of all the former members of Band of Asians, only Lew and Arceo are on speaking terms. Patrick's relationship with other former bandmates remain questionable and uncertain. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Your Audio 2 Riot/When the City Riots (2007-2010, 2010-Present)</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Patrick created a secondary solo project called Your Audio 2 Riot. Which was to collaborate with musician friends from school and online friends who were musicians via Internet. After many failed starts as a online collaboration rock band, Patrick met and befriended his schoolmate from CSU East Bay named Jeremy Alfonso, former Distorted Harmony and current Retrograde Fire lead guitarist. After several jam sessions via Internet on Facebook and e-mail. And one band practice at an empty gameroom at their school on September 11, 2009. Jeremy quietly left the band, or was released, due to the heavy demands on college education and other projects.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Soon after Jeremy's departure from Your Audio 2 Riot, Patrick Lew's then-fiancee Faith Tanner joined as the band's drummer. While the virtual rock band was aimlessly sketching and jamming, much of the band's focus was on their romantic relationship and Patrick's one-man rock band and its recent LP, "Let It Rise And Against." While mainly promoting their music online on many websites, the Pretendo Box was described by style and sound as Post-Hardcore and more discordant Punk music in the style of Patrick Lew's Band by instrumentation and vocals. And song ideas had fewer hooks and &nbsp; &nbsp; organization. Given the fact, most of the music Pretendo Box made was off-the-cuff chaotic when jamming and recording in the studio.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Because of the online and local media scrutinizing Patrick and Faith's relationship, and tensions between both Patrick and Faith as Patrick relocated to Lubbock, Texas in March of 2010. Much of the band was spending more time with romance than the couple's actual music.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">On July 1, 2010, Patrick and Faith ended their relationship and Patrick soon relocated back to Antioch, CA. However, the former interracial couple remained friends fortunately. But however, Patrick lost contact with Faith more recently due to uncertainty. &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Patrick's &nbsp;friend George Mack became Your Audio 2 Riot's new drummer. However, the progression of the project became stagnant. And along with other priorties everyone involved had at the time.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Instead, Patrick Lew revived Your Audio 2 Riot as a sketchpad for B- material for his own solo musical output. With the given help of his friends when needed for musical organization, collaboration and recording sessions. Your Audio 2 Riot can now be seen as a stop-gap side project which Patrick does most of the musical creation himself. And the project has been renamed to When the City Riots by mid-October 2010.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Hidden Chaos (2010-Present)</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">On February 9, 2010, Patrick and his close friends from CSUEB, Greg Lynch and David Hunter, initiated a new Grunge influenced band called Hidden Chaos. In the Summer of 2010, however. The garage band turned into a more serious pursuit, as the garage rock band trio began planning, organizing and constructing their potential musical future and possibilities when playing and creating music, with many ambitions. Currently, Hidden Chaos is under construction as a rock band. But is Patrick's main musical priority outside of Patrick Lew's Band. Currently, the prospective band members of Hidden Chaos are rehearsing and jamming in Patrick and Greg's houses and attending college at CSU East Bay, constructing the potential future and musical pursuit of their band at their University's music department.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Personal Life</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">For most of his life, Patrick Lew battled bipolar disorder and clinical depression because of some of struggles and personal experiences he suffered early on in life. Although, he feels he's somewhat more stable now personally. Patrick attended Raoul Wallenberg High School from 2000 to 2004, and later went to three different colleges. Currently, Patrick Lew is attempting to finish up his college career and education at CSU East Bay with a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy. And considers himself, a very highly-educated and liberal individual.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Patrick reportedly had five former girlfriends. Some of which, he met via Internet on dating or social-networking websites. As of October 30, 2009, Patrick Lew gotten engaged to his long-time female friend Faith Tanner. Whom he met three years earlier on a free dating website. And were long-distance friends and penpals during those times. Patrick briefly relocated to Faith Tanner's home in Lubbock, Texas, but went back to the Bay Area for very difficult reasons after the two split.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Patrick had three paying jobs in his life, and a few community service volunteer work. He worked at a comic book store called Heroes Club whilst still in high school and a Tower Records. During Band of Asians downtime, he worked a volunteer non-profit job working for President Barack Obama's campaign for presidency at the time. When he's not playing, pursuing and making music. Patrick enjoys reading, watching movies. Playing video games on his PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. And hanging out with his social-networking around the San Francisco Bay Area. And enjoys watching his favorite baseball team, the Oakland Athletics and is a die-hard fan of professional wrestling as well. And goes online on his computer often whenever at home.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Patrick Lew is second generation Asian American of mainly Taiwanese and Chinese descent. But speaks minimal Mandarin or Cantonese. Patrick is also a Christian. He currently resides in Antioch, California.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Other Projects</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Patrick has been extensively on YouTube producing video blogs on various topics and himself performing his own songs and cover songs of other well-known artists on his guitar and voice, filmed on his digital camera. Patrick has also acted in the 2004 local production of the playwright "Picking." Some of his other talents are creative writing, blogging, photography and drawing. And some of these creative talents can be found on Patrick Lew's music websites and profile pages on his social-networking websites such as Facebook. Patrick Lew is currently acting on Film for a short CSUEB movie directed by Meuy Saylor about Halloween pranks in a college life.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p></div>