Production Language English
Country of Origin United States
Description Pat Irwin is a hero of mine as well as a neighbor. A guitarist and composer, Pat has played in the bands The Raybeats, 8 Eyed Spy, The B-52s, and scored the television show Nurse Jackie and SpongeBob Squarepants along with many more. I ran into him on my street and invited him to record at BAM. For his session he picked three solo guitar pieces including a version of the National Anthem. It was a risky choice for him, but he felt compelled to express his feeling about the state of politics and American life. In stark contrast to Jimi Hendrix’s version, Pat’s anthem is mournful and introspective. We used two amplifiers to capture a vast stereo soundscape. Listening to the recording now, it feels like Pat captures the malaise of the Coronavirus outbreak, the isolation, and the problematic initial response of our institutions to the spread of the disease.
Identifier 2020s.90123
