Patrick David Koch

A light rain glistened on the cobblestones in downtown Gainesville. On this midweek, mid-December evening, smack dab in the middle of final exams, there were not many hearty souls hitting the streets. Those that did, however, were treated to a rare, mellow musical treat.

If you were in or around Gainesville in the early 1990s, chances are you witnessed a live show by, or at least heard of, local heroes Big White Undies. The quintet, with singer Adrienne Young and guitarist-songwriter Pat Koch as its nucleus, ruled the non-grunge part of the Gainesville music scene during those days.

Their performances at venues ranging from The Covered Dish to the Alachua Music Harvest and everywhere in between earned them legions of devout fans.

Young has since relocated to Nashville in order to pursue her musical muse while Koch has stuck it out here in Hogtown, diligently working on sets of demos as well as doing time in a BWU spin-off band called My Friend Steve in the late nineties.

Back with a new set of songs, a bearded Koch took the stage on this low-key evening at The Side Bar for two sets of acoustic rock tunes. With microphone and acoustic Takamine guitar, Koch played an early evening set, largely for his friends with families, judging from the large number of children in the audience.

Koch’s sound ranged from plaintive to earnest through songs such as “Fool” and “Treasure Map,” the latter of which was described as “a children’s song, but for adults.” Themes of love and hope were recurring through many of Koch’s songs, particularly in “The Birds Are On Fire,” a song he wrote after 9/11 upon hearing a radio interview with Gore Vidal describing children’s stories about looking up and seeing people jumping from the World Trade Center after the attacks.

Turning to lighter topics, Koch also performed more upbeat songs such as the Big White Undies classic “Weight of the World.” Koch also mentioned between songs that he plans to record a new record in January.

After asking everyone to come over to his house, since “this is much easier in my living room,” Koch seemed looser during his second set, which included a stirring cover of The Beatles’ “Piggies.” Koch’s style is mellow yet introspective, recalling such singer-songwriters as diverse as Jack Johnson, Paul Simon, or perhaps the more melodious songs from Sting’s catalog.

Also playing between Koch’s sets was the band The Northerness, reduced tonight to the duo of sibling singer-guitarists Ben and Rachel Hofer. Their sound, despite the sparse crowd in attendance, was quite a treat with Ben’s folksy sound complementing Rachel’s ethereal vocals well.

It left one wanting to see them in their full band permutation.

As an added bonus to those in attendance, Koch offered free gift wrapped copies of one of his demo CDs, “Songs for Sale – Volume 1.”

Reach Fred Sowder at phredkid@yahoo.com.

- FRED SOWDER

If you were a pop music lover in Gainesville, Florida in the mid 1990s,
chances are you’d heard the songs of Big White Undies, the band pop
songwriter Patrick David Koch founded in 1993. “The Undies” answered the
early post-grunge period with acoustic-based, broadly accessible
singer-songwriter tunes, sung with lush harmonies and played in a brightly
energetic pop-rock format. Within a year, based almost entirely on public
word-of-mouth, the band’s local audience had grown from forty or so
enchanted young club-goers to over two thousand rapturously applauding
people of all ages. Many of us who enjoyed those shows were struck by the
exceptional songwriting. “Stumblin’ Blocks” and “Ferris Wheel” had melodies
we couldn’t help but remember, and lyrics we immediately knew we wanted to
remember. We sensed we were experiencing something very rare and very
special--and we were right, because even given Gainesville’s continuously
active and well-regarded music scene, nothing quite like it has happened in
town since.

Good for us, then, that Pat Koch (it rhymes with book) continues to
write and perform today. And in two “Songs for Sale” CDs, Pat’s key musical
trademarks remain on full display: magnetically appealing melodies and
dynamic chord changes that perfectly actualize a song’s lyrical ideas. It’s
evident, too, that time and experience have deepened Pat’s gift for
metaphor, and added variety and nuance to his subject matter. “A Song
Before the War,” for instance, responds to world events with a wounded tone
and a plaintive, angular melody that expresses sorrow and hope in the same
breath. “Whatcha Made Of” uses a disarming musical setting--one might call
it a campfire nursery rhyme--as both an incisive character probe and a
challenge to the morally wayward. “Walking Away” indignantly maps the end
of a relationship with a sad, soaring bridge melody and a telling refrain:
“You just see me.” And lucky for us, Pat‘s talent for locating positive
energy is as irrepressible as ever. “Tonight” explores the spiritual
connection between performer and audience, with melodic dips and crests
that capture, with remarkable fidelity, the song’s gorgeous lyrical images.
“Thanks For The Photograph” packs a cathartic gust of gratitude, not only
for the keepsake value of photographs but also for the miracle of human
memory itself.

The influence of other writers may be detected here and there--James
Taylor and Paul McCartney may come to mind, and Pat’s “Mine And Yours,” with
its readily identifiable “Mrs. Robinson” overtones, offers a clear and
affectionate tribute to Paul Simon. But overall, Patrick’s labors in the
craft have yielded an original songwriting signature, an uncanny blend of
uninhibited play and piercing insight that’s grounded in kindness and
compassion. Too intelligent to promote naïve idealism, Pat’s songs convey a
shrewd and literate insistence that humanity’s best qualities should, must,
and can prevail.

Welcome back, Pat. These “Songs For Sale” offer more welcome proof that meaningful pop songs can also be a lot of fun to listen to. One fan’s
advice: Buy them.
- Scott Barnes