Andrew W.K. – The Art of the Party – CXF | Culture Crossfire

PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!

There are very few people that can do what Andrew W.K. does. The always energetic party animal has excelled in a number of careers while maintaining an always peaceful existence. Born Andrew Wilkes-Krier in California, he was raised in Michigan where he studied music before moving to New York City. Before becoming catching on with the public eye, he actually tried his hand at modeling. A quick google search will lead you to some hilarious headshots of a young W.K. trying to break into the business. Here’s one to get you going:

Originally introduced as a musician, Andrew W.K., a multi-instrumentalist, first burst onto the scene in 2001 with his debut album, I Get Wet, which gained a level in fame in part due to its front cover which contained a picture of Andrew with a bloodied face.

It was reported at the time that the photo was 100% real and was caused by Andrew actually punching himself in the moneymaker. The rumour has since been debunked and now it’s believed it was partly made by Andrew’s own fist and make-up. Adopting a fun-loving, hard partying persona, the record is a collection of party anthems and tributes to good times reminiscent of 80s hair metal (the good kind: Twisted Sister, Scorpions, and Quiet Riot… not the bad kind: Poison, Cinderella, and Kix). The first single, Party Hard was an instant hit due to its pulse pounding beat that can get anybody to headbang. That song launched him into the mainstream where he’s remained ever since. Other remembered tunes included Ready To Die which has a grooving keyboard and She Is Beautiful. From start the end, the album is packed with unprecedented energy with some of my other favorites being Girls Own Love, I Love NYC, and the brilliant opener, It’s Time To Party. Around this time, Andrew was also being hailed for his live shows where he showcased insane amounts of power and crowd interaction, regularly inviting fans onstage to sing along with him.

Andrew followed up the success with his sophomore album, The Wolf, in 2003 to similar success. His third album, Close Calls With Brick Walls was released in 2006 but in Japan only due to legal disputes. It didn’t receive a release in the United States for over a year. He has also released albums of original piano compositions (‘55 Cadillac) and covers of popular J-Pop songs (The Japan Covers) and Anime soundtracks (Gundam Rock). In 2013, he started touring with Marky Ramone and his band, Blitzkrieg, providing vocals for the Ramones’ classic tracks. I’ve seen the act live twice and let me tell you, it’s incredible. Hearing Andrew put his own spin cuts such as Pet Cemetary and I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend is fantastic. It’s probably cliche at this point to admit but I’ve never seen a musical act live quite like Andrew W.K. He never tires and never phones it in.

Though he hasn’t released any original material since 2011, Andrew W.K. has proved to be successful at other mediums. With his trademark long hair, white t-shirt and white jeans, W.K. has been a recognizable figure in entertainment and it’s led to a career in television. Andrew has hosted a number of music related shows on MTV and Fuse where he brought his untapped energy. This helped him carry his act as he hosted a number of music award shows as well such as the Kerrang Awards and Revolver’s Golden Gods, a ceremony paying homage to the heavy metal legends of past and present. In addition, he hosted the Cartoon Network children’s program, Destroy Build Destroy which features Andrew and two teams of kids pretty much dismantling the rival team’s concoction made out of items from a junk yard. It is one of my nephew’s favorite shows. I mean, it’s kids blowing things up. Is there anything else they need? It ran for four season before ending its run in 2011.

A self-admitted wrestling fan, he was featured in a video game as a playable character in Xbox’s Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood. Current WWE superstar, Adam Rose’s gimmick of a fun-loving partier who travels with a huge entourage of characters was also heavily influenced by W.K.

In addition, he’s held a substantial career as a motivational speaker and self-help guru, presenting at many prestigious universities across America. From a distance, Andrew seems an unlikely candidate to inspire people but he’s unsurprisingly been wickedly successful at it, relating his life experiences and putting on a show that everyone will remember. This has led to him debuting an advice column in New York City publication, the Village Voice, Ask Andrew W.K., offering sound wisdom to readers. His Twitter account also features many partying and lifestyle tips making Andrew W.K. the poster boy for an anything but ordinary living.

That’s not all. Not only does Andrew constantly talk about partying, he lives the party and brings it straight to you. He is a part-owner of a club in downtown Manhattan in New York City called Santos Party House. I’ve hung out there a few times mainly to see shows, usually featuring Andrew himself and I have to admit, it’s a rocking time.

From the beginnings of his fame, Andrew W.K. has been accused of being a puppet and that he is the brainchild of another man or group named Steev Mike. It’s been claimed that the man we know as Andrew W.K. is actually a front for a much bigger entity. While these claims are unfounded, W.K. has alluded to their existence in several interviews but denied that there’s a larger force behind him and that anybody else other than him has been playing the character of Andrew W.K. I can’t imagine if Andrew was a pawn. I’d be severely disappointed but it won’t stop me from headbanging to Party Til You Puke!