Show: Andrew W.K.
Date: March 8, 2012
Venue: Avalon
City: Hollywood, CA
Andrew W.K.
Photos by Nicolas Bates
Written by Michelle Oberg
It has been 10 years since Andrew W.K. released I Get Wet, his first studio album recorded under the Island Def Jam label. As tradition holds anniversaries as a date to celebrate, Andrew W.K. revels in that institution by touring the states, performing the album in its entirety with the same track order as it appears on the record.
Hip-hop blared through the speakers as the show openers disbanded from the stage and roadies prepped for the next performance with a simplistic stage design. The controversial album cover from I Get Wet hung from the rafters showcasing our evening’s headliner and his bloody face. Andrew W.K. spends his pre-show time wandering the crowd before he takes to the platform, clad in his all-white-everything traditional attire, smiling and greeting his following. If you’re not familiar with Andrew W.K.’s history, he’s highly educated, multi-talented with an array of instruments, energetic, charismatic and yet, bizarre in a way where you wouldn’t be surprised if he was the leader of a cult. All of which made his diverse crowd both refreshing and intriguing.
The lights went dim, and the crowd roared. Sirens, helicopter sounds and a pre-recorded voice-over track blasted through the speakers as Andrew W.K. entered the foreground. With no hesitation, he spoke briefly and prominently: “Hello everybody, it’s time to party…” breaking the wall of concert-going anticipation and going straight to the music. The first song was just as his greeting implied: “It’s Time to Party.” Following Andrew W.K. to the stage, his seven band mates each showcased their instruments as the audience clapped in sync, like at the end of a theater production.
Classically trained musicians mixed with party-rocking anthems and insinuation of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll render the show a must-see for its aesthetically pleasing performance. Most of the songs present similarities in their sound, lyrics and style but are uplifting and entertaining for their audience. Like a rave without the blatant presence of drugs or a house party loaded with booze and good friends. A very animated frontman makes faces and mimics gestures constantly at the crowd, who eat it up, including when he puts the microphone in his pants and makes movements across the stage imitating that of a robot.
The performance is more of a spectacle than it is a showcase. Andrew plays keys, guitar, rhythm machine and sings. The keys are his first nature, which is effervescent, but his guitar skills expressed that this was not so much, and sounded like more of a band practice over any form of polished playing. With a few attempts, and fails, he finally gets the notes right and breaks into a Slash-esque solo, but it doesn’t last long enough to deserve accolades.
After playing “I Get Wet” in its entirety, his encore included an additional six songs. One of which was from the “I Get Wet” Japan release, appropriately titled “We Want Fun.” Another four were off his second album “The Wolf” and lastly, off his latest EP “Party All Goddamn Night.” To close out the night was the song “Head Bang.” His eccentric nature is nothing less then captivating and the show is quite the exaggerated performance. We give you our blessing to check his website for tour dates in a city near you.