​Andrew WK and “The Power of Partying”

Andrew WK is a man of parts: musician, music producer, nightclub owner, motivational speaker, and now, party guru. He’s back on tour but this time he’ll be behind a podium on a 50 state speaking tour called “The Power of Partying”.

Earlier this spring, on a separate endeavor, WK filled out the necessary paperwork and collected signatures in order to start his own political organization called the Party Party. Unfortunately these efforts were cancelled due to a pre-existing Party Party--a Missouri-based nonprofit.

Though WK’s political party didn’t pan out it didn’t dampen his spirits. “The Power of Partying” is a completely separate event geared to getting together to acknowledge and celebrate the very nature of being human.

“This is my attempt to add something positive and unifying to the divisive atmosphere surrounding us in so many different forms. Without targeting or preaching to any one side, I want to see if we can party together in our common humanity. We will have a party about being people.”

We had a chance to speak to Andrew WK about the current political climate, the power of positivity, and of course the power of partying.

HPR: Can you tell us about the Party Party?

Andrew WK: I’m not allowed to really talk about the Party Party--there was a political organization that I was trying to start back in March--but we had to stop doing that because we got sued. It just happened a couple of days ago--it’s a real shock obviously. I’m not really all that disappointed--there’s nothing I can really do about it.

I guess it really wasn’t meant to be. There was already a political group out of Missouri and they’re pretty upset. The good thing is that the real point of the whole effort--that was a success...I think.

In terms of bringing the party spirit to the world in any way we could--it lives on it that regard. I mean, the tour wasn’t so much about that political organization. It was just sort of coming off the backs of people’s enthusiasm for this particular outlook.

HPR: What are your main speaking points in your 50 state speaking tour “The Power of Partying?”

AWK: My ongoing effort in all the various work I’ve done is to try to conjure up this life force feeling--this kind of core energy kind of excitement about being alive--and really focus on it. And use it as this counterpiece to a mindset in a way you can look out at the whole world and try to approach it with a type of optimism and enthusiasm. That’s what the power of partying is--it’s to celebrate not being dead.

HPR: Have you always been so optimistic?

AWK: No, I’ve never been optimistic at all. That is why I’ve been trying to develop these ways to think because it’s not completely in me. I think maybe if I was born really optimistic or just always had a really positive outlook then I probably wouldn’t have to work so hard at focusing on these things. For me, I’ve always been a very negative person--really pessimistic. I’d always have to get cheered up and motivate myself and find ways to focus on these other feelings.

HPR: What do you think of our current political situation--why do you think we are so divided?

AWK: I don’t know if it’s an ongoing process, where each of us is trying to make sense of the world and trying to organize a very complicated, intense, and very overwhelming experience called being a human being.

There’s a kind of desire to understand it and sometimes making things black and white, or left and right, or red and blue that can seem like a very satisfying way to get organized. More people are more complex than A or B--even if we are able to be divided like that, we all are human beings. In that way, hopefully we can relate to one another no matter what our other beliefs or opinions are--just try to do whatever we can to stay connected as people.

I don’t think things are necessarily worse now in that regard than they have been in the past. There’s always the temptation to feel like you’re better than someone else, there’s always the temptation to try to push other people away and I know that from my own experiences. So I’m just trying to focus on reasons we have to party with one another even if we do think differently on certain things.

HPR: Is this your first speaking tour--what motivated you to speak out?

AWK: I’ve been doing lecture events and motivational speaking events for the past 10 years. The first one was in 2006 at New York University and most of the events were at colleges, but I have done some more public events and a few shorter tours. I’ve never done a full nationwide lecture tour--especially one that goes to every single state.

Sometimes I don’t really know what motivates me. The vision I’m just trying to promote and stay focused on is positive feelings and try to bring it around and give it as much life as I can.

HPR: That’s really inspiring! I think we could all benefit from a little positivity.

AWK: We can all benefit from it. It’s one of those things where there’s no such thing as too much positivity or too much goodness.

HPR: You’ve had a multi-faceted career as a musician, music producer, speaker, nightclub owner.. How do you manage so many hats?

AWK: They all fall pretty much under the same umbrella of either the entertainment industry or show business--or at the very least partying. I try to find as many different ways to amplify this celebratory energy as I can.

You can play songs about it, talk about it, you can write about it… Any way that I can be devoted to the feeling and try to serve it. I feel like I’m a representative of the feeling. I’m not the only person who is interested in this feeling fortunately. I’m just one of many people who’s trying to devote their lives to a good feeling.

HPR: In 2012 you were approached to serve as ambassador to Bahrain--is that correct?

AWK: Yes, by the Cultural Exchange Program with the State Department.

HPR: How did that come about?

AWK: I don’t really know...they just invited me. They reached out and contacted us two years before that and we worked with them pretty intensely on planning everything out and going through a lot of background checks and vetting processes. It was all scheduled and then they cancelled it right at the last second--one of the higher-ups saw my photo and I didn’t look right with my bloody nose and all that.

HPR: Have you been working on anything musically?

AWK: I’ve been recording a new album for a while and hopefully it will be done next year--working on more writing and all that...nothing in particular really except partying. I just keep focused on partying and whatever else happens just happens.

IF YOU GO:

Andrew WK: The Power of Partying, 50 state speaking tour

Tuesday, October 25, 7pm

Sanctuary Events Center, 670 4th Avenue North, Fargo