Guitar heroes are alive and well and roaming the Midwest. For every niche and substrata of music, there are players who those in the know consider a cut above. In the surprisingly robust metal segment of Kansas City music, Patrick Renk is one of those guys. The poll-winning guitarist took KC juggernaut Moire to a new level when he joined their ranks a few years back, manifesting a fiery and legitimate soloist the band’s music needed. Ladies and gentlemen, get to know Patrick Renk:
What’s the last album you listened to?
I’ve really been into German power metal lately. It’s difficult to narrow it down to just one, but ones I have been listening to a lot are Blind Guardian’s Nightfall in Middle Earth, Rebellion’s Sagas of Iceland, and various other albums of the genre.
What is one album you feel everyone should listen to?
I’ll tell you what really influenced and inspired me to play guitar, and not just play guitar, but devote a great deal of my life to the craft, and that’s Yngwie Malmsteen. My first record of his was The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection. It was a greatest hits album that spanned all of his “hits” or best of from the 80’s. One listen to that cassette, and I was enthralled. I could not put my guitar down from that moment on. Yngwie continues to be one of my musical heroes to this day. Sure he’s an egomaniac, likes to crash expensive cars, and is an all around arrogant prick, but when he plays guitar, he’s on another level. He can do no wrong.
Who is one person, present or past, that you would love to collaborate/jam with?
Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. His music has always been one of my mainstays. Iron Maiden’s music is simple, it’s complex, and it’s everything it needs to be at the right time. I’ve taken a lot from their style: epic melodies, driving rhythms, and of course, the almighty gallop.
If I had the chance, I’d trade my guitars for an M1 Garand or a Thompson and storm Omaha Beach, or drop in with the 101st Airborne.
Who is one person outside of music that you admire and why?
I admire anyone from “The Greatest Generation,” as coined by Tom Brokaw. I’m obsessed with the WW2 era. I’ve always said that I was born two generations too late. If I had the chance, I’d trade my guitars for an M1 Garand or a Thompson and storm Omaha Beach, or drop in with the 101st Airborne. I particularly admire Major Richard “Dick” Winters, recently of “Band of Brothers” fame.
Do you read music?
Kinda. At one time I could site read. This was a long time ago when I was a young pup in the Fort Zumwalt North High School Jazz Band. Those days are long gone though. I could sit and figure out sheet music if needed, but that would take a while. It’s been a hell of a long time since I’ve even sat and look at tablature.
Any other obsessions/passions besides music?
Like I stated previously, WW2 is a significant obsession of mine. I read a lot of WW2 books, watch WW2 movies, and catch as many WW2 documentaries as possible. I also love medieval movies and fantasy novels. I love to read just about anything that captures my interest. I also love strategy games, be they board games or video games, it doesn’t matter.
What was your first guitar, do you still have it?
Oh no, that thing is long gone. My first guitar was a Harmony ½ size acoustic. I received it from my father on my 4th or 5th birthday; I don’t recall exactly. I never learned how to play it. It was more of a prop/toy to me than anything else. A decade later, I got a Cort electric guitar and a Peavey Rage practice amp for my 14th birthday, and it all started there. Both of those are gone. I traded the Cort for my first REAL guitar a Kramer F-6000, and the Harmony probably got tossed. RIP.
Inquest Midwest explores the minds of musicians from Parkville to Raymore—and beyond.
Subject examined by Troy Van Horn.
