It’s hard to go wrong with a musician who refers to himself as “Pat the Bunny.”  The man behind this intriguing stage name is folk punk musician Pat Schneeweis.

Pat, best known as Pat the Bunny, got his start playing folk punk in Arizona playing random house parties and on the street.

Folk punk is a unique music genre that usually encompasses acoustic instruments and features out of tune singers which sing about anything they want, like political justice, pizza or whatever else.

Pat the Bunny is an iconic folk punk musician who started to make a wave in the scene with his band “Ramshackle Glory” and their one and only full-length album, “Live the Dream.”

“Live the Dream” came out on June 3, 2011. It boasted classic folk punk songs such as: “First Song,” “More About Alcoholism,” “Vampire are Poseurs,” “Bitter Old Man” and “Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist.”

Even though Pat was very involved with “Ramshackle Glory,” he was still making his own acoustic music and took it across the country. He didn’t tour in style, as he mostly played in random people’s basements.

Not long after “Live the Dream,” Pat’s next album came out on Dec. 18, 2014. That album is “Probably Nothing, Possibly Everything.”

The album holds notable songs such as: “I’m Going Home,” “Make Total Destroy” and “A Glorious Shipwreck.” The album is about growing up and out of his previous background.

At one point in time Pat was a major drug user, using heroine, cocaine and drinking almost every day. He later realized that music was his way out and made this album revolving around recovery and darkness.

“I’m Going Home” is probably my favorite song on the album. Lyrically I believe that this might be his best work. It is clever lines like “But if singing changed anything, they’d make it illegal” that make me think that.

The rest of the song he questions why people come to him for advice. The song like every song on this album has just a simple guitar melody behind Pat’s screeching voice.

The next song is “Make Total Destroy.” This is Pat the Bunny’s coming of age song. The first time I heard it was when I saw him live in a random person’s dirty cement basement in Minneapolis, Minn.

I remember when Pat sang the first line of the song. It was so true to him and his location, it hooked me right away:

“I’m growing old in rooms full of kids with unruly hair cuts.”

After viewing his listening demographic, it is easy to see why this song holds such true meaning to his life.

The last song I that I felt was great is “A Glorious Shipwreck.” This, like all the other folk punk songs, is only accompanied by guitar so there isn’t a lot to talk about musically.

“A Glorious Shipwreck” has possibly my favorite line Pat the Bunny has ever written:

“Just do the dirt and walk away and don’t say it. My momma didn’t raise no snitch.”

There isn’t really any reason why I like this line so much. I just feel that it is something that for many years he has had to live with and by. The melody in the song is great there isn’t a better way to end an album than with a fast beat acoustic song.

It is hard for me to put into words just how great Pat the Bunny’s simple approach to     music is.

I would highly recommend Pat the Bunny to any music lover. He is different and will leave you wanting more. He will also make you feel like you are the world’s greatest singer, as his out of tune voice illustrates punk rock carelessness and passion. Just give him a listen and you will understand.

Cameron Campbell is a staff writer for  The Dakota Student. He can be reached at  [email protected]