# Pat Finnerty

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**Patrick Quinn Finnerty**[1] (born February 13, 1980)[2][3] is an American musician and [YouTube](/source/YouTube) personality based in [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia). As a singer-guitarist, his projects include Okay Paddy, And the Moneynotes, Pat Finnerty and the Full Band, and [August is Falling](/source/August_is_Falling). On social media channels, Finnerty is known for posting original song compositions and giving critical reviews of popular music songs in the *What Makes This Song Stink* series.[4]

## Early life and education

Finnerty spent his early life in [Scranton, Pennsylvania](/source/Scranton,_Pennsylvania), United States.[5] He began playing live music in bands at the age of 16, Finnerty has said in the past that he was inspired to start playing by acts like [Weezer](/source/Weezer), [Ween](/source/Ween), and [Nirvana](/source/Nirvana_(band)). Finnerty later attended [Temple University](/source/Temple_University).[6][7] By 2010, Finnerty lived in [West Philadelphia](/source/West_Philadelphia), where he still resided as of August 2020.[2]

## Career

### Musical projects

Finnerty has been based in [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia) since about 2010 (he currently resides in [West Philadelphia](/source/West_Philadelphia), though he was not born nor raised there).[5][8] His musical projects have included Okay Paddy, And The Moneynotes, Heavy Blonde,[9] The [Tom Petty](/source/Tom_Petty) Appreciation Band, and Pat Finnerty and the Full Band.[10][5][11][12] In 2015, *The Lid*, a [rock opera](/source/Rock_opera) by Pat Finnerty, had a three-night run at the Underground Arts theater.[13] Finnerty has also taken on gigs as a sideman guitarist,[4] such as performing onstage with members of [Dr. Dog](/source/Dr._Dog)[8] and touring as a guitarist with [Strand of Oaks](/source/Strand_of_Oaks).[14][15]

### YouTube and Instagram

Finnerty joined YouTube in 2009. By the early 2020s, Finnerty's [viral](/source/Viral_phenomenon) online content and musical performances had made him a renowned singer-guitarist in the Philadelphia music scene.[16][17] Toward the end of 2023, he had over 166,000 subscribers and over 7.74 million total views.[18]

Finnerty is known to use social-media platforms to release original song recordings. In 2014, he released the humorous songs "Raggae Dog" and "Raggae Dog II: Reflection" via YouTube.[19]

His social-media channels gained national acclaim in May 2020 when he posted videos online of his band performing live, rooftop concerts in Philadelphia that complied with [COVID-19](/source/COVID-19_pandemic) [social-distancing](/source/Social_distancing_measures_related_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic) measures and that supported [Black Lives Matter](/source/Black_Lives_Matter).[17][20][21]

On the Instagram platform, Finnerty's presence is branded as "The Pat Finnerty Show".[5] In August 2020, Finnerty staged a 24-hour [Instagram](/source/Instagram) [livestream](/source/Livestreaming) event referred to as "Grohlathon"[22][23] in an attempt to get the attention of [Foo Fighters](/source/Foo_Fighters)' front man [Dave Grohl](/source/Dave_Grohl).[24] At the nine-hour mark of his stream, to the surprise of Finnerty, Grohl joined via chat while hosting a dinner party with his friends. Grohl and Finnerty chatted for several minutes, and Grohl played part of the [Dire Straits](/source/Dire_Straits)' song, "[Money for Nothing](/source/Money_for_Nothing_(song))", at the request of Finnerty.[5][2][25][26]

Finnerty became well known for his video series *What Makes This Song Stink*, a spoof of YouTuber [Rick Beato](/source/Rick_Beato)'s series "What Makes This Song Great?", where he analyzes the musical concepts in popular songs and offers social commentary about the song's lyrics and commercial appeal.[27] The series has reviewed "[Kryptonite](/source/Kryptonite_(3_Doors_Down_song))" by 3 Doors Down, "[All Summer Long](/source/All_Summer_Long_(Kid_Rock_song))" by Kid Rock, "[Beverly Hills](/source/Beverly_Hills_(Weezer_song))" by Weezer, "[Hey, Soul Sister](/source/Hey,_Soul_Sister)" by Train, multiple songs by [Lenny Kravitz](/source/Lenny_Kravitz_discography), "[Dani California](/source/Dani_California)" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, "[Emo Girl](/source/Emo_Girl)" by Machine Gun Kelly, "[Try That In A Small Town](/source/Try_That_in_a_Small_Town)" by Jason Aldean and "[Lonely Road](/source/Lonely_Road_(Machine_Gun_Kelly_and_Jelly_Roll_song))" by Machine Gun Kelly and Jelly Roll. [28][29] Finnerty also releases "Little Stinkers", which are shorter videos than the approximately 45-minute videos of the main series including songs by artists such as [Nickelback](/source/Nickelback), [Walker Hayes](/source/Walker_Hayes) & [Monster Truck](/source/Monster_Truck_(band)).[28] In 2022, Finnerty adapted the *What Makes This Song Stink* series as a [podcast](/source/Podcast).[30][31]

Finnerty's videos are characterized by his niche humor, social interaction with people on the street and running gags, such as saying "Beato!" after mentioning music theory concepts.[4][32]

In April 2021, Finnerty's critical review video of the Weezer song "Beverly Hills" helped popularize the term, "The Weezer Conversation", about the complicated relationship fans of the band [Weezer](/source/Weezer) have with how the band's songwriting and album development have progressed over the band's tenure.[33]

Finnerty is good friends with members of rock band [Dr. Dog](/source/Dr._Dog) and to support his critical review video of Train's "Hey, Soul Sister", he convinced the band to release a cover of "[Here Comes the Hotstepper](/source/Here_Comes_the_Hotstepper)" by reggae singer [Ini Kamoze](/source/Ini_Kamoze).[34]

### August is Falling

Finnerty founded August is Falling, a [pop-punk](/source/Pop-punk), [emo](/source/Emo)-style music project.[35][36] Finnerty wrote[37] the songs and played guitars and sang vocals, and [Eric Slick](/source/Eric_Slick) played drums,[citation needed] on the band's *[The Simple Plan](/source/The_Simple_Plan)* [EP](/source/Extended_play) that was released independently in 2022.[38] Lyrics of the songs on the EP take aim at the popular music industry, internet culture, and the state of the emo movement.[38] The EP's fifth song track, "August is Falling", was mixed by acclaimed music producer [Butch Walker](/source/Butch_Walker).[35][36][39][40]

A running gag on Finnerty's social media channels was that he hoped to earn enough money from *The Simple Plan* EP to purchase a [hot tub](/source/Hot_tub).[41] As of December 2023, he has achieved his goal of acquiring a hot tub, in the form of an inflatable non-permanent hot tub in the confines of his garage.[29]

## Discography

### Okay Paddy

- *Hunk* (2004)[42]
- *Snow Tracks* (2016)[43]

### And the Moneynotes

- *This Year We Hunt* (2007)[44]
- *New Cornucopia* (2008)[45]
- *On The Town, on The Vine* (2009)[45]

### Pat Finnerty and the Full Band

- "The Weezer Conversation" (2014)[46]
- *The Lid* (2018 digital release)[13]
- "Lake House" (2020)[46]
- "Tough Gig" (2020)[46]
- "Rest of It" (2022)[46]

### Other projects

- Pat Finnerty, "Reggae Dog" and "Reggae Dog II: Reflection" (2014)[19]
- Heavy Blonde, compilation of 11 song tracks (2015)[9]
- Tortured Agony, "Dead Man Trail" (2021)[47]
- August is Falling, *[The Simple Plan](/source/The_Simple_Plan)* EP (2022)[38]

### Other credits

- Toby Leaman, *Military Applications* (2022)—lead guitar[48]

## See also

- [Machine Gun Kelly (musician)](/source/Machine_Gun_Kelly_(musician))
- [Dr. Dog](/source/Dr._Dog)
- [Red Hot Chili Peppers](/source/Red_Hot_Chili_Peppers)
- [August Is Falling](/source/The_Simple_Plan)
- [Lenny Kravitz](/source/Lenny_Kravitz)
- [Ini Kamoze](/source/Ini_Kamoze)
- [3 Doors Down](/source/3_Doors_Down)
- [Rick Beato](/source/Rick_Beato)

## References

1. Finnerty, Pat (February 15, 2026). ["Night Hawkin' - Zakk Wylde & Joe Bonamassa Crossroads"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU0z-_gqRGI). pp. 33:01. Retrieved February 15, 2026. – via [YouTube](/source/YouTube)

1. Hudak, Joseph (2020-08-17). ["How a 'F-cking Nobody' From Philly Got Dave Grohl to Jam With Him on Instagram Live"](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dave-grohl-instagram-jam-pat-finnerty-1045214/). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. Retrieved 2022-09-06.

1. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU0z-_gqRGI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU0z-_gqRGI)

1. Kovac, Adam (2023-05-02). ["Pat Finnerty: "I knew millions of people were gonna get What Makes This Song Stink 'cause millions watch Rick Beato, and maybe 10% know how ridiculous this man is""](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/pat-finnerty-what-makes-this-song-stink). *[Guitar World](/source/Guitar_World)*. Retrieved 2023-05-12.

1. ["Scranton musician Pat Finnerty got Dave Grohl to sing and chat with him on Instagram"](https://nepascene.com/2020/08/scranton-musician-pat-finnerty-got-dave-grohl-sing-chat-instagram/). *NEPA Scene*. 2020-08-17. Retrieved 2022-09-06.

1. ["Excellent article from the (Scranton PA) sunday-Times about being a local musician"](https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/excellent-article-from-the-scranton-pa-sunday-times-about-being-a-local-musician.1237494/). *The Gear Page*. March 24, 2013. Retrieved 2022-09-06.

1. Wilding, Patrice (2013-03-23). ["Musicians on a mission"](https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/lifestyles/musicians-on-a-mission/article_0df5a2e6-0fd9-5738-a37b-1dedfd8d4c1c.html). *[The Scranton Times-Tribune](/source/The_Scranton_Times-Tribune)*. Retrieved 2020-06-09.

1. DeLuca, Dan (2022-08-10). ["3 new live music venues by Avram Hornik will energize Philly nightlife"](https://www.inquirer.com/entertainment/philadelphia-live-music-venues-indie-concerts-20220820.html). *[Philadelphia Inquirer](/source/Philadelphia_Inquirer)*. Retrieved 2022-08-10.

1. Lello, Michael (2014-02-18). ["Heavy Blonde: 'Your Not Going to Get the Same Thing'"](http://highway81revisited.com/heavy-blonde-youre-not-going-to-get-the-same-thing/). *Highway 81 Revisited*. Retrieved 2022-09-13.

1. ["WXPN to air weeklong celebration of MTV's 40th birthday"](https://www.phillyvoice.com/mtv-wxpn-radio-music-video-tv-anniversary/). *PhillyVoice*. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2022-09-06.

1. Zenyatta, Eugene (2021-08-21). ["Bringing the Sass"](https://philadelphiaweekly.com/bringing-the-sass/). *[Philadelphia Weekly](/source/Philadelphia_Weekly)*. Retrieved 2021-08-21.

1. Beck, Tom (2018-10-24). ["Tom Petty's legacy lives on at Johnny Brenda's"](https://starnewsphilly.com/2018/10/24/tom-pettys-legacy-lives-on-at-johnny-brendas/). *Star News Philly*. Retrieved 2020-09-09.

1. Colavita, Michael (2015-12-03). ["Breakup the Monotony of the Norm w/Pat Finnerty and the Full Band at Ortlieb's Dec. 3"](http://m-philly.thedelimagazine.com/category/bands/pat-finnerty). *[The Deli](/source/The_Deli)*. Retrieved 2022-09-07.

1. Fennell, Sean (2021-09-18). ["Strand of Oaks makes an emotional return to the XPNFest River Stage"](https://xpn.org/2021/09/18/strand-of-oaks-xpnfest/). *[WXPN](/source/WXPN)*. Retrieved 2022-09-09.

1. ["We All Get Together: As Strand Of Oaks Hits The Road, We Look Back At One Of Our Favorite Shows From Last Year"](https://magnetmagazine.com/2022/05/05/we-all-get-together-as-strand-of-oaks-hits-the-road-we-look-back-at-one-of-our-favorite-shows-from-last-year/). *Magnet Magazine*. 2022-05-05. Retrieved 2022-09-09.

1. Vettese, John (2021-08-06). ["Pat Finnerty and the Full Band bring the rock of the 80s to XPN Studio for Free at Noon"](https://xpn.org/2021/08/06/pat-finnerty-and-the-full-band-free-at-noon/). *[WXPN](/source/WXPN)*. Retrieved 2022-09-07.

1. ["Pat Finnerty"](https://first-avenue.com/performer/pat-finnerty/). *First Avenue*. Retrieved 2022-09-06.

1. ["Pat Finnerty - YouTube"](https://www.youtube.com/user/hududhsskso/about). *www.youtube.com*. Retrieved 2023-12-18.

1. Lello, Michael (2014-07-02). ["Exclusive: "Raggae Dogg II: Reflection""](http://highway81revisited.com/exclusive-reggae-dog-ii-reflection/). *Highway 81 Revisited*. Retrieved 2022-09-13.

1. Faulk, Steven M. (2020-06-10). ["Rooftop concert supports Black Lives Matter"](https://www.inquirer.com/life/rooftop-concert-20200610.html). *[Philadelphia Inquirer](/source/Philadelphia_Inquirer)*. Retrieved 2020-09-08.

1. Titlow, John Paul (2020-08-13). ["How Live Music Is Coping, And What The Near Future Will Bring"](https://www.npr.org/2020/08/13/901796934/how-live-music-is-coping-and-what-the-near-future-will-bring). *[National Public Radio](/source/National_Public_Radio)*. Retrieved 2020-08-13.

1. Reilly, Nick (2020-08-18). ["Watch Dave Grohl surprise fan as he joins 'Grohlathon' and plays drums"](https://www.nme.com/news/music/dave-grohl-surprise-fan-as-he-joins-grohlathon-and-plays-drums-2731212). *[NME](/source/NME)*. Retrieved 2020-08-18.

1. Tan, Emily (2020-08-18). ["Dave Grohl Plays Drums On Superfan's 'Grohlathon'"](https://www.spin.com/2020/08/dave-grohl-joins-superfans-grohlathon-plays-drums/). *[SPIN.com](/source/SPIN.com)*. Retrieved 2020-08-18.

1. Schaffner, Lauryn (2020-08-17). ["Watch Dave Grohl Join Fan's 'Grohlathon' Live Stream, Play Drums"](https://loudwire.com/dave-grohl-pat-finnerty-live-stream-grohlathon/). *[Loudwire](/source/Loudwire)*. Retrieved 2022-09-18.

1. Mamo, Heran (2020-08-18). ["Dave Grohl Made a Superfan's Dream Come True by Crashing His 'Grohlathon' Livestream Jam Session"](https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/dave-grohl-crashes-superfan-grohlathon-livestream-9436434/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved 2022-09-06.

1. Lello, Michael (2020-08-17). ["Pat Finnerty Got Grohl: 'I knew he'd be into it'"](http://highway81revisited.com/pat-finnerty-got-grohl/). *Highway 81 Revisited*. Retrieved 2020-08-17.

1. Thrower, Sean (2021-06-03). ["What Makes Pat Finnerty's "What Makes This Song Stink" Series Great"](https://guitarramble.com/2021/06/03/what-makes-pat-finnertys-what-makes-this-song-stink-series-great/). *Guitar Ramble*. Retrieved 2022-09-07.

1. Janci, Janelle (2022-08-28). ["Meet Pat Finnerty, the YouTuber who explains why some songs just stink"](https://lancasteronline.com/features/entertainment/meet-pat-finnerty-the-youtuber-who-explains-why-some-songs-just-stink-unscripted/article_7411aac0-23f7-11ed-81a3-3fe67750e2f7.html). *[Lancaster Online](/source/Lancaster_Online)*. Retrieved 2022-09-06.

1. ["What Makes This Song Stink Ep. 8 - Jason Aldean "Try That in a Small Town""](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeJXF55HXRI), retrieved 2023-12-19

1. ["Podcast News Bites: NPR, Starburns Audio, New York Public Radio"](https://www.insideradio.com/podcastnewsdaily/podcast-news-bites-npr-starburns-audio-new-york-public-radio/article_92d83164-0c3b-11ed-a5fc-176e45a1e753.html). *[Inside Radio](/source/Inside_Radio)*. Retrieved 2022-07-26.

1. Douglas, Stephen (2022-12-28). ["Things We Loved in 2022: Pat Finnerty"](https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/2022-best-of-list-tv-music-movies-01gm4prcvwjh). *[The Big Lead](/source/The_Big_Lead)*. Retrieved 2023-01-01.

1. Ufberg, Max (2022-11-22). ["Meet the YouTuber who struck it big by breaking down the songs he hates"](https://www.fastcompany.com/90814928/meet-the-youtuber-who-struck-it-big-by-breaking-down-the-songs-he-hates). *[Fast Company](/source/Fast_Company)*. Retrieved 2023-01-01.

1. Brow, Jason (2021-10-06). ["Weezer's New Albums: What To Know About The Four New Records From The Rock Band"](https://hollywoodlife.com/feature/weezer-new-album-4531605/). *[Hollywood Life](/source/Hollywood_Life)*. Retrieved 2023-01-01.

1. Watkis, Jr (2022-04-10). ["Here Comes The Hotstepper Featured In Sonic The Hedgehog 2"](https://worldmusicviews.com/here-comes-the-hotstepper-featured-in-sonic-the-hedgehog-2/). *World Music Views*. Retrieved 2022-09-29.

1. Belghast (2022-08-05). ["Pat Finnerty Rocks"](https://aggronaut.com/2022/08/05/pat-finnerty-rocks/). *Tales of the Aggronaut*. Retrieved 2022-09-11.

1. ["What Makes This Song Stink "Emo Girl" BIG UPDATE"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w41S3d6f-FY). *[YouTube](/source/YouTube)*. 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-30.

1. ["August is Falling"](https://genius.com/August-is-falling-mad-this-summer-lyrics). *Genius.com*. Retrieved 2022-09-07.

1. ["August is Falling - The Simple Plan EP"](https://exitmusik.fr/august-is-falling-the-simple-plan-ep/) (in fr-FR). *EXITMUSIK*. 2022-09-04. Retrieved 2022-09-12.

1. ["Mysterious Pop-Punk Band August Is Falling Releases Self-titled Single, Announces Debut EP"](https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/mysterious_pop-punk_band_august_is_falling_releases_self-titled_single_announces_debut_ep.html). *[Ultimate Guitar](/source/Ultimate_Guitar)*. Retrieved 2022-09-06.

1. Grassick, Mark (2022-09-05). ["August Is Falling: Meet the internet's hottest new emo band"](https://discover.ticketmaster.co.uk/music/august-is-falling-news-54790/). *Ticketmaster UK*. Retrieved 2022-09-06.

1. Raible, Allan (2022-12-28). ["Review: 50 best albums of 2022"](https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/review-50-best-albums-2022-95172844). *[Good Morning America](/source/Good_Morning_America)*. Retrieved 2023-01-01.

1. ["Hunk, by Okay Paddy"](https://okaypaddy.bandcamp.com/album/hunk). *[BandCamp](/source/BandCamp)*. Retrieved 2022-09-10.

1. Lello, Michael (2013-11-25). ["'Snow Tracks' Preview: Okay Paddy"](http://highway81revisited.com/snow-tracks-preview-okay-paddy/). *Highway 81 Revisited*. Retrieved 2022-09-13.

1. ["Pat Finnerty Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pat-finnerty-mn0002109199). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. Retrieved 2022-09-10.

1. ["With new EP on the way, And The Moneynotes are raising their profile"](https://www.timesleader.com/archive/1267780/with-new-ep-on-the-way-and-the-moneynotes-are-raising-their-profile). *[Times Leader](/source/Times_Leader)*. 2009-04-28. Retrieved 2022-09-10.

1. ["Pat Finnerty and the Full Band"](https://patfinnerty.bandcamp.com/). *BandCamp*. Retrieved 2022-09-18.

1. ["Tortured Agony - Dead Man Trail (Chords)"](https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/tortured-agony/dead-man-trail-chords-4309463), [Ultimate Guitar](/source/Ultimate_Guitar), retrieved 2022-09-19

1. Vettese, John (2022-10-24). ["Toby Leaman's solo debut finds the Dr. Dog bassist in top form"](https://xpn.org/2022/10/24/toby-leaman-dr-dog-solo-debut/). *[WXPN](/source/WXPN)*. Retrieved 2022-10-26.

## External links

- [Pat Finnerty - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/hududhsskso/)
- [Band Camp](https://patfinnerty.bandcamp.com/)
- [August is Falling](https://www.augustisfalling.com/)
- [Pat Finnerty and the Full Band - *NPR Live Sessions*](https://livesessions.npr.org/artists/pat-finnerty-and-the-full-band)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pat Finnerty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Finnerty) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Finnerty?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.