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In most cases it is his dreadlocks that get the attention, but for the last year, it has been his voice.
While some people on campus know Patrick Anderson as the guy with the dreads playing hacky sack outside of Fogler Library, others know him as the host of the show “Now,” which appears on WMEB Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
“I love this,” Anderson said. “It’s so much fun and I look forward to every Tuesday. It’s one of my creative outlets.
“My computer and this soundboard are my instrument and I get to perform for people.”
For three hours, the Worcester native plays and mixes tracks that can be relaxing one minute and head-bobbing the next. The show was originally called, “Welcome To Now,” but he figured that cutting it down to one word would be just as effective.
Anderson’s interest in music started when he was quite young. He started listening to his parents’ record collection including artists like the Eagles. However, when he was in fifth grade, Anderson’s taste in music started to differ as he got into hip-hop by listening to the Wu Tang Clan. Afterwards, his interest in hip-hop expanded to crossover artists such as the Beastie Boys and Rage Against The Machine.
As he was in his so-called “rebelling stage,” he mellowed out after a friend took him to a Phish concert. He said it was at that point where get got back into the music that his parents listened to. Afterwards, Anderson stated that he “told my parents that their music was cool.”
Even though he may have left his home in Worcester, he took along his musical roots when he enrolled at a school in Virginia. He stayed for only two months after stating that it was a place he did not mesh well with. After coming back to Worcester, he transferred to Maine because his best friend was here.
Since that time, besides working towards a degree in interdisciplinary studies, with a concentration in music, peace studies and sociology, many within the local music community know Anderson not only from his show, but from his presence at local concerts.
“He has a different view of music and it’s more obscure music that others react to,” said Jack’s Wild front man Brian Herasymchuck. “I know he’s involved with music because I see him at different concerts and because of that, I know he is musically conscious.”
Most of what Anderson plays comes from his own collection. However, he says that one way he gets his music is by collecting different albums from people on campus. One example is Icelandic-based Sigur Ros who, despite having some titles in a language with which Anderson is unfamiliar, the laid-back sounds have become almost a staple in his show.
Whether it’s music that hails from Europe or even bands that practice off Kelley Road, Anderson feels the greatest thing about his job is getting people exposed to different kinds of music.
“What makes me happy is when I play something that someone had no idea about and they loved it,” Anderson said. “I enjoy the compliments that people give me, and it’s humbling, but I love to spark someone’s interest in a certain genre of music”
