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People On The Move - Michael Patrick
06/29/2009 - By by Chad A. Safran
BRINGING COUNTRY AND CASH TO NEW JERSEY
Do you know how many country music stations can be found in New Jersey? One! There are plenty of classic rock, top 40, and hip-hop channels to choose from, leaving fans of Hank Williams, Jr. and Randy Travis with few options. However, Marlboro’s Michael Patrick has an alternative for those seeking to hear some sounds of Nashville – come see him perform.
The lifelong New Jersey native has been playing with his band, The Suburban Hillbillies, for more than 4 1/2 years. It was a step he made having performed as a longtime member of the Grateful Dead tribute group, World Within. “Because there are not a lot of people doing it there’s a market for it,” says Michael, who first began playing music while banging on boxes at the age of 6, while his dad’s band practiced. “You have to go out and find it. It’s a specialty. A lot of the people who thought they were too cool for country started coming around.”
After putting together a CD with some Nashville session musicians, Michael wanted to form a band so he could play the music live. He grabbed guitar player Danny Markovitch from an old band and found the others band members through some local newspapers…and the Suburban Hillbillies hit the stage in the fall of 2004. After two members moved on and another pair (Mike Rosenow and Kevin Johnson) moved in, Michael and his group also began performing as Ring of Fire, a Johnny Cash tribute band, just after the late singer’s movie biography appeared on screen in November 2005.
Michael was drawn to Cash by the voice. He says, “It was easy for me to sing since I have a deep voice. The songs were about the common man. It’s all in the delivery.” Ironically, in 2003, after having spent a year planning a trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville to see an exhibit, Michael arrived on the day the country legend had passed away.
For the most part, he and Ring of Fire get a lot of musical attention. They have played at B.B. King’s in New York City (which is Michael’s favorite place to peform) and the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park. Additionally, the band has sung in front of 5,000 people at the Pardon Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival in Starkville, Mississippi, the past two years; they are scheduled to perform at the same festival again this October. With all his musical performances, Michael is on stage between 50 and 75 times a year.
Ring of Fire’s performances have even grabbed the attention of Johnny Cash’s family. In 2008, the group opened for Cash’s daughter, Roseanne, at the festival. “She heard our music from the hotel room and came out and told me ‘…she heard Dad.’ You can’t ask for a better compliment than that,” says Michael, who, while performing, does not attempt to impersonate “The Man in Black.” Michael also hones his songwriting and singing skills at local coffeehouses three or four times per month. “That keeps you grounded, and it’s still a challenge,” says Michael. “Until I’m not nervous playing in front of 10 people I am going to keep doing it. It’s good because you get to play new songs and try different material.”
Although he wishes music could be his fulltime job, Michael spends his working hours running his own computer support business. He is also involved with some local music promotion via his Suburban Roots Concert series, attracting artists who normally do not appear in New Jersey to perform at Claddagh’s Pub in Highlands.
When he was a kid Michael once told his mother that he was going to play at Madison Square Garden. He admits the dream has changed a bit since then, as his musical style and tastes have evolved. “Now it’s the Grand Ole Opry.”
*For upcoming performances please check out Michael’s website: www.michael-patrick.net
STATS
FAVORITE RESTAURANT
Virgil’s Real Barbecue, NYC
FAVORITE MUSICIAN
traditional country, Johnny Cash
FAVORITE MOVIE
Walk The Line
PET PEEVE
bad drivers
THREE PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH
Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark, and Justin Townes Earle
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