Andrew W.K.
The Rave // Milwaukee, WI // October 20, 2017

The Party Messiah blows the roof off the basement club in Milwaukee, and he’s only getting started.

Andrew W.K. is no stranger to struggle. His twitter feed is filled with his famous “party tips”, which range from funny to inspiring. Andrew himself occasionally suffers from anxiety, especially in social situations. When we caught up at Riot Fest, he said “this is about as much as I can handle. Any bigger [show] and I need to step back.” The rock star has always been honest with his own personal issues and doesn’t shy away from deep conversation. With the highly anticipated release of his new album in March, Andrew is taking his old material on the road one more time and just made a memorable pit stop in Milwaukee.
Having seen Andrew W.K. twice at Riot Fest, The Rave was a welcome departure from the big festival circuit and suited him well. The basement club is underneath the Eagles Ballroom, a big venue that was hosting a loud and boisterous hip-hop show that night. While the two shows couldn’t have been more opposite, Andrew W.K.’s fans were certainly more hyped. When Andrew’s band came out and started the introduction to “Music is Worth Living For”, the crowd squished together as much as possible to get to the front of the stage. Andrew hasn’t always toured with such a kickass band, and every song sounded a little better because of them.
Andrew doesn’t always get the credit he deserves for his musicianship; he plays guitar quite well, but his piano skills are amazing. You might not expect a long-haired rocker to be as good on the piano as he is, but it’s one of the highlights of his shows. Tucking his microphone in his pants so he can have two hands to rock out (one of his party tips), he plays vaudeville-style melodies that fit perfectly with the backing guitars and positively infectious lyrics.
His fans (myself included) cannot wait for his new album to come out. It will be his first studio album in seven years and as he told me at Riot Fest, it’s been even longer in the making. Philistines might dismiss his party lyrics and white jeans as a gimmick, but if you hear him speak just once, it’s clear that Andrew W.K means every word he says. He’s not just the messiah of partying, he’s the voice of reason and self-love in a cruel, cruel world.
Andrew will be playing the Corona Capital Festival in Mexico City on November 18th.

 

Andrew W.K.