Artist and musician Andrew W.K. is scheduled to perform at A&R Music Bar Sept. 25 as part of his The Party Messiah tour.
Credit: Courtesy of Jonathan Thorpe
Andrew W.K. is bringing the party to Columbus.
The self-proclaimed purveyor of party, W.K has said partying is hanging out as well as a mindset.
“(Partying is) just trying to put people in touch with a real, physical joy. A real physical pleasure,” said W.K., whose real name is Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier. “It’s so strong that it translates into your emotions and your moods, too, but it definitely starts in the body. That’s party — just being very aware that you’re alive and celebrating the fact that you’re not dead.”
Columbus is scheduled for a dose of W.K. aura Wednesday at A&R Music Bar. The stop is part of The Party Messiah tour, featuring W.K. playing his songs solo.
Concertgoers will only hear him play keyboard and use a drum machine during his one-man band tour.
This might come as a peculiarity, especially given the vamped-up, near-metal sounds of his record music. But based on audience reaction during previous shows on this tour, the inclusion of electronic texture will not hinder partiers’ energy, W.K. said.
“The way I feel is the energy level is just through the roof,” he said. “The power comes through. The music and the feeling about the music seems to be retained.”
Jaylan Jones, a second-year in exploration who plans to attend W.K.’s concert, said he feels similarly to W.K.
“The energy’s going to be crazy. People are going to show up to see this one-man show and probably be super stoked just to be in the same room with him,” Jones said.
W.K. said being by himself has its positives in that it allows him to take more liberties in his performance, more so than would be possible with a full band. He said he has at times made up songs spontaneously with audience members.
This intimacy of the solo act also contributes to the tour’s locations consisting largely of smaller bar venues. W.K. said he wanted to create a personal experience for those who come to his show.
“The line between stage and audience or participating and performing becomes very blurred,” he said. “The crowd becomes my band in a real significant way. I always wanted to find different ways to get that energy up.”
According to W.K., everyone construes partying as something positive and feel-good. It is for that reason he performs as a career.
“If I’m going to dedicate my life and my time to doing something, I’d like it to be something that makes me feel really good and hopefully makes other people feel good,” W.K. said. “I’m just going to do this every day forever.”
Tickets for Wednesday’s show can be purchased for $17 through Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7 p.m.
