#AOTW- Andrew W.K. {Legend Series}

I don’t know long it takes to be a legend, but it’s been over ten years since I got my first dose of the party monster that is Andrew W.K. A rock star that poses a quality that can’t be explained, an “it” factor that can be matched by none. He’s a man who escaped the bellows of mediocrity to rise to the peaks of partydom. He’s a man whose epic greatness is only rivaled by the gods of fun. He’s man who wears white jeans and t-shirts soaked in blood, sweat, and occasionally feces, better than anyone on earth. That man is this week’s AOTW: LEGEND. He’s your hero and mine: ANDREW W.K.

Andrew Wilkes-Krier (Andrew W.K.) was born in California and raised in Michigan where he studied classical piano at the University of Michigan School of Music. He inevitably moved in 1998 to the epicenter of all things awesome: New York City. In 2000, W.K released his first EP title AWKGOJ. The EP featured early renditions of future classics Girls Own Love (then titled Girls Own Juice) and We Want Fun.

W.K. followed up this EP with the 2001 classic, I Get Wet. I’ll never forget walking into that Best Buy in Carmel, Indiana to purchase the record. I was searching for the now iconic image of W.K., nose busted open, bleeding down his mouth and neck, only to find the CD plastered with a huge black sticker censoring this image. Big Bummer.

I blasted that record the whole way home. After the first listen through, I was hooked. I felt like I could take the world by storm. I felt like I could win everything, all the time. I felt ready to party my face off forever. I bought into Andrew’s message. His message was Party Hard.

W.K.’s I Get Wet is in the upper echelon of albums. Ten years after buying it, I am still prouder than shit to own it. I hold it in the same regard as Nirvana’s Nevermind, Biggie’s Ready To Die, and Redman & Method Man’s Blackout. Only this is way more fun than those records. With a scant run time of thirty-five minutes and thirty-three seconds, not a moment is wasted. Every second has you gripped by “party metal”, tighter than Andrew grips his mic. In the ten years since this album’s release, I have rocked out to it more than any other record. Andrew W.K. created a sound that simply promotes the joyous chaos that I thrive on. It is THE soundtrack to my good times. I have trashed hotel rooms to this record. I have fought friends to this record. I have vomited and bled to this record. Once during a weekend bender, all of these things occurred within a half-hour window. That weekend was capped off when I was awoken from a two-hour slumber by nine people standing over me screaming while Party Till You Puke blared from a boom box inches from my face. I then had whiskey poured into my eyes while a girl shrieked at me, “If you don’t drink, you’re a faggot!” It was too much to handle. Andrew just brings it out of people I guess. The music pushes people to go harder, faster, longer; it’s PF Flyers for a parties.

While people like me and my friends celebrate this album and everything it stands for, upon its release some were not so amused. Most notably Pitchfork’s Ryan Schreiber. Its’ reviews like this that make me think some music reviewers don’t like music. 0.6 out of 10? Really dude? You didn’t find anything entertaining about this record?

Full review here: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/184-i-get-wet/

Hat’s off to Pitchfork for re-reviewing the album on the 10^th anniversary, giving it an 8.6.

In 2003 Andrew released his follow up album The Wolf, an explosive record with a huge sound. Not as poppy as the previous but still contains the same roaring guitars, playful piano, and guttural screams as the last. It is epically perfected arena rock. When I say music is supposed to be fun, this is the type of shit I am talking about. This music was created specifically with the intention of inspiring fun. W.K. knew exactly what he wanted to achieve and succeeded. Long Live The Party and Really In Love highlight the album. Try listening to these songs and feeling sad. It doesn’t happen.

In the years that followed, W.K.’s release record has been spotty. He released three other albums, Close Calls With Brick Walls (2006), The Japan Covers (a series of J-Pop Cover songs from 2008), 55 Cadillac (an instrumental piano album from 2009), and Gundam Rock (a tribute to Gundam robots I guess? 2009). Gundam and The Japan Covers were only released in Japan, while Cadillac and Close Calls didn’t receive nearly the fan-fare of his previous work.

As of late W.K. has been making the rounds as a motivational speaker, going to colleges and convincing kids to follow their dreams and “live the party”. He preaches the message of his music which is pretty righteous. I once went with a girl see him talk. Prior to his speech, she was doing her darndest to live up to Andrew W.K.’s standards of partying. It wasn’t long before she puked all over herself. I got a cab and to take her home, missing a majority of the talk. As she got out of the car I could see she had barf in her hair. She then asked if I wanted to come up to her apartment and make out. I said “not thanks.” Party hard indeed.

One of the most intriguing things about W.K. is the “conspiracy” surrounding him. Many claim that he may not be a real person, but rather the construct of a large corporation, which sounds totally asinine. These same people also believe the man portraying Andrew W.K. may have switched after 2005.

Some media outlets have also taken umbrage with the producer of W.K.’s albums Steev Mike. Who is Steev Mike? Is it a pseudonym for some larger entity? I don’t have the time or the engery to explain this, or even care about it. Read all about it here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/akdobbins/the-andrew-wk-conspiracy

Who really gives a fuck though? If you are spending this much pondering on a conspiracy surrounding a dude who plays party music, you are missing the damn point. Just shut up and play the tunes. Blast them while you’re stuck on the highway. Crank them when you’re phoning it in at your shitty job. Jack them up when you’re ready to take the party to another level. Celebrate W.K. whoever he may be, because he’s the dude who goe s harder than any of us, every second of every day.

Hugs,

Kelly