Since his major label debut in 2001, Andrew W.K. has made a song-writing career from a party hard attitude that stems 
from a personal ethos rather than excess.
During the downtime between tours, he has been working on a new kind of performance that he has labeled ‘happenings’. Part spoken word, part motivational, but all fun, Andrew W.K brought his rollicking performance to Missouri Western last Thursday. On the surface, it would be easy to dismiss the artist as fluff, but he has the guns to back it up. W.K (Wilkes-Krier) is a classically trained pianist and his own producer on his albums. His last full album, The Wolf, saw W.K play every instrument from start to finish. He has been using the musicianship to accent his happenings, which he displayed with full crowd participation points at various times during the show.
“This is new for me, to be speaking rather than singing,” W.K said. “With music, you’re communicating with a magical kind of material. I used to think music was the biggest and best, most amazing way to get a feeling across. I started having more experiences from talking to people after concerts and I saw this human interaction that was very powerful. Instead of music being the main focus, it’s just another way to get that feeling of goodness across.”
That sentiment came across in his nearly two-hour performance. He touched on combating apathy that faces college age kids today and how to rise into what he put as a feeling of exhilaration. “The main focus for me is joy,” W.K said. “and creating the feeling for other people, for myself. I want to be myself in every way. I’m very grateful that people are not necessarily interested in what I’m saying, but interested in the same idea I am. “ The crowd of 100 students and local residents participated in W.K.’s roundtable at Kemper Recital hall which culminated with W.K performing some of his more well-known hits with the crowd coming on stage. Local downtown dancing fixture Dan Mengel came up on stage to dance with W.K as he ran through such hits as “I Get Wet” and “We Want Fun.” Andrew’s speaking tour has recently brought him to Yale and NYU in addition to Missouri Western. Most of his performances have the same basic structure, but are more content driven by the attendees than W.K himself.
“This type of thing is about the people,” W.K said. “People are a source of good feelings. I want to bring a source of that. I’m not a college graduate, but I’m getting invited to places like Western and Yale and they are asking me what I’m about? I want to bring an event that isn’t jus t me versus a crowd. I like to think it’s just pure performance; a good feeling. We define the ritual as we go along.”
Andrew W.K is presently working as a producer for other bands and artists along with his speaking tour, in conjuncture with his normal touring schedule. He is set to release a piano-based instrumental album later this year.
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