Seen & Heard: On the sidewalk leading from the parking garage to BayWalk, St. Pete.
Patrick greeted us with a smile and a warm hello. He had just finished singing John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Road." He sat comfortably in his chair, guitar in his lap, with a brace on his lower leg and a cane at his side. Patrick specializes in '70s singer/songwriter staples by the likes of Jimmy Buffett, Jim Croce and others. He said he can make more than $100 in a night, "but other times I might get a dollar in 45 minutes." One time, he says, someone threw a $100 bill in his tip jar. "I shut it down then," he says with a smile. "It was time to get a beer."
Eric: You made Wishbone Ash's "Ballad of the Beacon" — one of your favorite songs, you told us — into an intimate ballad.
Leilani: I liked the simplicity of your approach — not thrilling exactly, but definitely warm and pleasant. And I loved that you'd decorated your guitar with the Dark Side of the Moon refracting prism — made me feel like we had something in common.
Wade: You're equal parts front-porch and tiki-bar picker — and I liked the passion in "Ballad of the Beacon."
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This article appears in May 9-15, 2007.