“There’s absolutely no reason why today can’t be the best day we’ve ever had” – Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K. has been called a lot of things; philosopher, motivational speaker, the savior of rock and roll but nothing fits as well as his most recent nickname “the Party Messiah.” Andrew’s shows have been described as an almost religious experience, filled with joy and love for one’s fellow man. His show in Lawrence was no different. Although when I first heard about the premise for the Party Messiah tour, I was skeptical. Instead of a full band, Andrew was going to have a single piano and his right hand man Blakey Boy as his only live accompaniment. How was he going to be able to unleash his full party potential without the rest of the band? My doubts were put to rest as soon as he took the stage.
From the moment the sounds of “It’s Time to Party” rang through the speakers of the Granada, I knew I was in for a special experience. The intimacy Andrew was able to achieve without the rest of the band was mind blowing. The line between audience and performer was completely blurred. The feeling of brotherhood among the audience was so high that I didn’t even mind when a crowd surfer almost crashed on my neck. Nothing could crush my spirit that night, physically or metaphorically.
The highlight of the show came towards the end when Andrew burst into his classic “I Get Wet.” People from the crowd began rushing the stage to get a chance to dance with Andrew and not a single member of security was there to stop it. Nearly half the people in the Granada were on stage by the end of the song, myself included. It was the most positive form of chaos I could have imagined, the kind I had only ever read about before. As the song ended, Andrew pulled a woman out from the crowd to help officiate one of the most special moments in life a person can go through. Surrounded by Andrew and a group of people, the woman asked her boyfriend to marry her and the crowd erupted into joy when he said yes. Truly the Party Messiah worked his spiritual magic that night to create a show that no one who attended will ever forget.
Reviewed by Jake Waters.
