Musician, YouTuber, Asian Idol. Patrick Hayashi (PLB) is a band based in Japan. With influences ranging from punk and garage. And also rock and pop!

"Jump, rattle and roll to our rock and roll freak show."

The Patrick Lew Band (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!

Dont miss out on their most recent releases, including full-length albums and a handful of EPs detailing their journey through music and creativity!

Find out more and listen to Patrick Lew Band on Spotify. Give us a like on our Facebook page. Follow us on Instagram. And keep up with our music videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

HIS STORY...

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. Most of Hayashis early years in the indie music circuit was playing in a garage band. 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. 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. Their first single AZN GIRLS was posted online during late 2007, leading to a critical backlash among the band on 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.

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.To have something to fall back on, Hayashi taught himself the fundamentals of the indie music business and being his own entrepreneur.

During this period, Patrick Lew Band had aborted plans to tour locally. However, the group would perform live in the Antioch area occasionally during some of 2011. 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 indies because of a failed common-law marriage and very well documented personal problems, Hayashi made his return to music with the Patrick Lew Band by the beginning of 2015. Embarking on his 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. 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 Lew-Hayashis 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 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 Lewnatic HQ.

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. 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 June 7, 2019. Patrick Lew-Hayashi received 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.

Outside of PLB. Hayashi has also performed, recorded and toured with other bands in the Bay Area. And made a brief uncredited cameo appearance on the acclaimed Amazon TV series Man in the High Castle on Season 4 and Episode 1. He also is a moderately known and prolific social-media influencer and persona, most notably on YouTube and Instagram.

The Patrick Lew Band because of popular demand would eventually relaunch in March 2020, but for limited and sporadic one-off or once-in-a-while studio appearances and in- house performances.