Island-flavored rock ‘n’ roll

David Patterson, a 13-year Island resident, was just realizing his childhood dream to become a rock and roll musician. However, he found the attention he sought was short-lived as his son, Jake, significantly began to overshadow him. Jake, 18, is a 2011 graduate from Mercer Island High School, where he was often heard in the Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Choir. Jake will attend the Berklee College of Music this fall in Boston.

Patterson began pursuing his dream of performing music with a group of fellow psychologists. As a psychologist at the University of Washington Medical School, he has spent two decades providing clinical care, teaching and conducting research. Given that the original band was largely psychologists and the name Talking Heads had been taken, the band was named Shrinking Heads.

The Shrinking Heads will be featured at two music events this summer — at the Summer Celebration fireworks show on Saturday, July 9 and at Mostly Music in the Park on Thursday, Aug. 4, along with Color of Controversy (the band that includes Patterson’s son, Jake).

The ‘Heads is a seven-piece band fronted by professional singers Kelly Wright and Ekello (EJ) Harrid. Both singers have been active in the Seattle music scene for a number of years. The singers are backed by Andrew Shields (keys), Ivan Molton (sax), Sean Hudson (guitar), Eric Ritts (bass) and Patterson on drums. The band thrives on playing music from the ’60s to the present designed to coax the most reluctant crowd member on the dance floor. They thrive on a wide variety of music that takes advantage of Wright’s vocal range as well as EJ Harrid’s specialty in soul, rhythm and blues. The Shrinking Heads has become known on the Island for playing at numerous local parties.

Color of Controversy is a teenage heartthrob band consisting of recent MIHS graduates Wick Kaminski (bass, keys and vocals), Sten Olson (keys and guitar), Riley Hagen (drums) and Jake Patterson (lead guitar and vocals). All four band members are pursuing music or arts in college. Kaminski and Olson are attending Chapman College in California; Hagen was drawn to the music program and percussion at Idaho State, and Patterson will begin at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The four recent graduates have been heard frequently over the past few years in their roles in the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Choir Steel Drum Band and the many events that they performed at over the weekend of graduation. Color of Controversy recently released a CD of original music entitled “Dawn in a Dreamland.”

The entire Patterson family is involved in arts and music, although Dave is quick to point out that not only is he unable to read music, but also he is likely only a member of the Shrinking Heads because he is willing to haul equipment to the performances.

See them live

Mercer Islanders can hear the Shrinking Heads  during Summer Celebration on Saturday, July 9, at the fireworks show.

Listen to both bands during Mostly Music in the Park on Thursday, Aug. 4.

Contact Mercer Island Reporter Staff Reporter Staff at editor@mi-reporter.com.

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