Monday, April 22, 2013

Ten Metal Bands to See Before You Die: Andrew W.K.

When people talk about finding community in music, whether it's metal, punk, underground hip-hop or the best indie rock, they almost never mean letting fans onstage, sharing the mic, spending a good portion of the show in the crowd or doling out bear hugs. Unless they're talking about Andrew W.K.



No popular musician, metal or otherwise, exudes massive positive energy the way that Andrew W.K. does. Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Cliff and U2 might come close in a club setting, but none of them would be as interactive. At every Andrew W.K. show, everybody is Courtney Cox in the "Dancing in the Dark" video. Andrew himself is no exception.

How he does it all without the show getting out of hand is beyond me. Somehow, the charge that he gives his audience keeps them in a jubilantly non-destructive universe. His motivational banter is inspiring without being escapist, and the anthems--oh my god, "It's Time to Party," "Party Hard," "Party Til You Puke"--will carry you through the next week. I can tell you that every time I've seen Andrew W.K., no matter how tired I am nor what I have to do the next morning, I can't sleep and am fine the next day at work. If the best music makes you feel superhuman, than Andrew W.K. is at the very top.

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