[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL "Andrew W.K.: I Want To Believe"
06.19.13
BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
I heard of Andrew W.K. when most people did. It was the “Party Hard” video and the dude rocked. He wore dirty white clothes and just rocked out like a fun loving party animal metal guy. He has tons of charisma and energy and can put out a good rock album for sure. I don’t know how you could hear one of his metal-party tracks or see one of his crazy energetic videos and NOT love this dude.
I don’t know what it is or what happened. I’ve always been an enthusiastic supporter, but I never went as far as buying any album other than the one with the bloody nose and I’ve never seen the guy live. I’ve heard he puts on GREAT shows, but I’ve just not crossed that off my bucket list just yet. It’s not my favorite music, but its stuff I always enjoy when I’m around it. I’d totally see a show and listen to more of his stuff, but it’s just not been in front of me. So before I get into this crazy ramble and study I wanted to put a perspective of what I’m kin to.
It gets weird.
So basically there’s this whole on-going “joke” that Andrew W.K. is part of the illuminati and that he’s a created figure that’s out there for some other “top secret” motive.
At first this sounded like an awesome rumor. The idea that people are legitimately questioning if this slacker-looking, motivational rocker is part of some secret society made up of the powers that be.
But IS it really THAT crazy?
Apparently there are tons of stories out there about this guy.
Some folks think he’s part of the illuminati. I was watching the Artie Lange show recently and John asked Mr. W.K. about it. I thought it was a joke and W.K. blew it off, but it seemed a little weird. It then got my brain wanting for information so I took the internet.
The internet has everything!
So apparently here’s the short take on it. He’s a creation! He’s a corporate creation! He is a big publicity stunt! He is a Scientologist! He’s a Mason! He’s really Lady Gaga! Dave Grohl made him! He’s a robot! “Andrew W.K.” has been asked about this stuff over the years, but always seems a bit vague. When asked about being connected to these groups he said
“Yeah, well, umm, I don’t think any of the groups mentioned are bad groups. You know, the whole problem with a lot of this stuff and the reason why we’ve been trying and I’ve been trying to deal with it in different ways is that a lot of these things that people have run with were based initially on some kind of truth. And that’s what makes them harder to either completely deny or turn away. But it’s never been anything, what’s the word… “malevolent””
He’s…. not even real. Yep. That’s what I’ve taken from all of this.
It’s been said that “Andrew W.K.” is not a person, but rather a created brand name. Who is behind it is still a mystery, but there is supposedly a few people putting their heads together to create this very amazing performance art piece.
When you think about it as a performance art piece it adds a whole new level of “WTF” to the spectrum that is Andrew W.K.
There is something about a guy named “Steev Mike”. Is it the original guy? A collection of names? An alter ego that Dave Grohl uses to pull the strings? This is another aspect that’s not all that clear.
But it gets weirder.
Everyone who has been a wrestling fan for a long time know the stupid rumors about how the WWF had two “Undertakers”(not the fake one, but two different people) or two “Ultimate Warriors”. Hell, I think I’ve even heard nonsense about there being two Kane’s.
I guess you could say that Andrew W.K. is more like Sin Cara. If you’re not a wrestler loser, then let me explain. The alleged story goes that in 2005 the actor who was playing the “Andrew W.K.” character was SWITCHED. There are even pictures out there comparing both sides. The early pictures don’t look like the same Andrew W.K. I am used to seeing. Unless I was brainwashed, I feel like this theory is a little hokey.
But let’s explore the idea some more. The party rocker, is actually played by Andrew Wilkes-Krier. He’s a performer who is playing himself. It’s said that he wanted to create this image and then at a certain point dismantle it. One big performance art project. He was a dude in Michigan with this elaborate idea and plan who created the poppy-metal rockstar goofball persona. Then by utilizing the internet media, the television, and just getting the word out there in the right way they created a monster. The hype was there and people were rocking out to the album I Am Wet in droves.
There is also a big theory that he’s not the only person behind it. Some even go as far as saying Dave Grohl is involved, but it’s mainly said his dad hooked him up with some marketing and art people. The machine then started up and never shut off.
How different would this be from a Justin Bieber? Bieber was “discovered” on YouTube and then was signed up based on his voice and looks. They wanted to turn him “cool” so his handlers actually hired him a “swagger coach”. What’s the difference? The same can be said for politicians, actors, and other public figures. It’s all a prefabricated image to put out whatever message they want to put out.
On a certain level, the idea that “Andrew W.K.” is a satire or parody or even just an artistic participant of the whole world of celebrity is amazing to consider. It’s like the Andy Kaufman of music and the biggest “fuck you” to the industry. If you allow your thought process to get into this area the idea this whole persona is a “work” is great. The character has been on major tours, major TV shows, radio shows, in magazines, in advertisements, and in pretty much every faucet of celebrity media.
But is THAT even true? Is that itself just a lame conspiracy theory to make the light hearted metal of Andrew W.K. seem like it had depth or unreal substance. The fact it’s being questioned is art within itself.
Then there is this video. If you’ve made it this far, I think you need to see this:
I still don’t know what to believe. I just know if I keep looking into this, I’ll get sucked further into the circle of conspiracy. Is Andrew W.K. a creation or is the actual mystery the creation? That’s some heavy shit to ponder. I’d like to think that Andrew W.K. is an alien sent back in time by JFK to save the rainforest, not from the corporations, but from the evil animals. It makes just as much sense. The idea of him being a performance art project is an amazing thought, but even bands who go out there and don’t hide it as much are doing the same thing. Any band that makes music has to market it somehow. It’s not going to make me rock out any less to Andrew W.K.’s music, in fact I might actually have to check out more of the music now.
