Andrew W.K.'s All-Purpose Guide to Partying

The rock-and-roll wild man gives us some tips on how to throw the most awesome party imaginable.

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Image via Complex Original
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When Andrew Wilkes-Krier was four years old, he attended a nursery school party where he had the chance to climb into and play around in a Volkswagen Beetle that was missing both its engine and tires. For the other kids present, that party was probably just a nice, faint childhood memory (that is, if those people remember it at all), but the one-man whirlwind now best known as Andrew W.K. calls it “sort of the dawn of my destiny.”

Since that first party, the Michigan-bred, Manhattan-based W.K. has attended and hosted thousands more. The hard rock/metal front man has been sincerely, deeply smitten with the notion of feel-good partying throughout his career. “Party Hard,” “It's Time To Party,” and “Party Til You Puke” off his album I Get Wet all have the magic word in the title, while several other songs from his 2002 debut encourage the same spirit of reckless abandon.

Today, W.K. co-owns the Manhattan venue Santos Party House, dispenses Party Tips on Twitter (Sample: “Scream as quietly as you can, and whisper as loud as possible”), and is currently celebrating the 10-year anniversary of I Get Wet with an international tour during which he'll perform the entire record nightly.

The stateside celebrations are ongoing until Apr. 7 (Find all dates here), and the tour picks back up in Ireland three days after that. To absolutely no one's surprise, these shows are, like pretty much everything else A.W.K.-related, all about having a ridiculously good time.

Speaking of his nursery school extravaganza, W.K. says, “That's a recommendation for any party: Have some kind of destroyed, gutted, burned-out car that you can play with and smash.” We caught up with the Shaman of Shindigs so the whole world can learn to celebrate Andrew W.K.-style.

As told to Reyan Ali

Ethos

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Ethos

Andrew W.K.: "I try to break down really basic understandings of this party phenomenon and this word “partying.” If you think about it, when you party, you're celebrating something. Now, we can think of the obvious examples of celebrating the weekend or the new year or a birthday or a holiday of some sort. These are things we're grateful for, so we celebrate them.


 

If we're not dead, we're probably grateful that we're alive, and that gives us a reason to party every single day.


 

"It's a version of the Golden Rule. It's an open-mindedness that allows you to party and enjoy yourself the way that you want, and then give everyone else around you the freedom to do the same thing, as long as your mode of partying doesn't interfere with other people's ability to party as they see fit.

"If we're not dead, we're probably grateful that we're alive, and that gives us a reason to party every single day that we're not dead, and that's how I came up with this. I was determined to prove that partying was not only possible every day but actually the only sensible approach to life."

Etiquette

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On Good Etiquette

Andrew W.K.: "Being polite is very important. I've not always been able to maintain that, but a general sense of good manners [is needed]. I'd say also etiquette is being generous—offering people whatever they want that you have to offer and sharing alike with drinks, chips, food, crackers, cake, cookies, cupcakes, donuts, crullers, crescent rolls, croissants, and, y'know, those little bread and butter biscuits.

On Bad Etiquette

"Oh, a lot of punching. Usually the low point for any human activity is when it somehow gets reduced to punching and kicking, but at the same time, there have been times when that's been necessary to protect the life of some other folks, so only punch and kick when it's absolutely necessary.


 

If you're going to puke, please do not puke into someone else's mouth unless they specifically want it.


 

"Sometimes, shouting and yelling is very fun, and sometimes shouting and yelling when it's directed toward someone in a very cruel or unusual way [is] not a very party vibe. And then if you're going to puke, please do not puke into someone else's mouth unless they specifically want it.

"I have seen people puke and it got on other people, and they didn't seem too happy about it because that smell lingers. Even if you change your clothes, that stomach acid—that bile—will attach itself to your skin, just like if you bathe in sour milk, it's going to stay on your skin for a long time to come.

"I went to a party where there was a lot of people fistfighting the whole time, and they tore the stairs apart and threw these bicycles through the windows of this house and hurt a bunch of folks, and then the police came and ended everything."

Location

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Location

Andrew W.K.: "Anywhere. It really can be done anywhere. I like house parties a great, great deal. For starters, it's a lot of conveniences and supplies that make it really easy and an ideal place to celebrate.

"You've got a lot of bathrooms or at least one bathroom if you're in a house. You have food and refrigeration. You don't need to worry about a cooler or anything like that, and you have a bed in case you want to do something in the bed. It could be sleep, it could be not sleep-oriented.

"I also like partying in cars, especially backseats. They could be driven by someone that you don't even know—a limousine-type situation. A big, big van is a very, very good place to party.

"Also, parking lots can be a great place to throw a party. You can sit in the car, get out of the car, turn the car lights on, use the stereo from the car. Then of course, nightclubs, dance clubs, concert halls—anywhere where they have the best sound and lighting systems, like Santos Party House."

Guest List

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Guest List

Andrew W.K.: "I would invite a zombie or at least someone with that kind of look. I would invite a ninja. It doesn't have to be a professional ninja but at least someone that looks like a ninja and aspires to be what ninjas offer the world.

"I would invite a unicorn or at least a horse with some kind of horn strapped to its head. I actually have been to a couple children's birthday parties where they did have a unicorn. They do exist. At bar mitzvahs and things, it can be some dream of a child to actually ride on a unicorn.

"You've seen how they do pony rides and things like that? Strap a horn on one of those things, or if you drive the horn into its skull, you can actually make it permanent. I don't know if it hurts or harms the horse's brains, but just jam that horn in and you're good to go.

"Lastly, I would invite a robot. The Honda Corporation out of Japan have built some really incredible, impressive robots that can walk and dance. I think that would be the life of the party. It would really get everybody going."

Guest List (Celebrity Edition)

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Guest List (Celebrity Edition)

Andrew W.K.: "Let's see. I would invite Gandhi. I would like to see how he handles himself in a real loud party situation. He's nonviolence in its purest form, so I think he could really have a good, fun-loving, friendly, peaceful party vibe. The best kind of party is like the most aggressive, violent fun and kindness that you could ever have, and I think that he embodies those qualities quite well.

"I would like to invite Sylvester Stallone, but not as an actor—as several of his characters. I would like him to portray those characters at different points of the night, so when he arrives, I would like him to be John Rambo.

"Maybe around midnight or 1 in the morning, I'd like him to become Rocky. Then around 4 AM, I'd like him to go back into Rambo but leave that little porkpie black hat that Rocky wore on and try to combine the two characters into one super, super character.

"I would like to invite Dick Cheney, just to hopefully shatter his mind with the intensity of partying and get him to become the greatest guy in the world."

Budget

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Budget

Andrew W.K.: "As long as you have yourself and some form of living health, you can party. That's the beauty of it. Having a hundred bucks or so to spend doesn't hurt because then you can get a lot of chips, crackers, wines, sweet wines, wines that foam—all that good stuff—but you don't need money to [party], and if that ever would stop someone from partying, they need to be taught that lesson. You don't need to spend a single dime. As long as you have the will and the focus to have fun, you can do it no matter what."

Eats

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Eats

Andrew W.K.: "I love garlic, I love onions, but those might not be conducive to close talking, loud talking or being around other human beings at all. Let's keep the spice [and make it] from the chili pepper family, so let's have a lot of red chili peppers, some little Scotch bonnets, some habaneros, dipping sauces—hot sauces, salsas made out of jalapeños—and let's have some of them ghost peppers. I think that's the spiciest pepper of all—even spicier than habs."

Drinks

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Drinks

Andrew W.K.: "Man, I want to have every kind of fluid that we could possibly have, from wines to sweet wines, wines that foam, wines made out of potato, vodkas, tequilas, gins, a full selection of brandies.

"I would have cognacs and cordials. Then, I would also have milk. I would have tea. I would have fruit juice. I would have Everclear. I would have root beer. I would have all kinds of pop. I would have grape soda. I would have chocolate soda. I would have carbonated coffee and I would also have water.

"My favorite drink is water for sure because I've tried not drinking it before and I almost died, so credit is due there. I went three days without drinking water. I was just drinking other things and I guess that they had water in them, but I noticed that by the second day, my hands started to feel really weird.


 

My favorite drink is water for sure because I've tried not drinking it before and I almost died, so credit is due there.


 

"They started to look wrinkled and old—not like liver spots, but just wrinkled and leathery—so I realized then maybe I was starting to get dehydrated, but instead of drinking pure water, I was drinking milk and wines that foam and all that stuff. That was not a very good combination either because wine and milk makes that curdled stuff in your stomach. I ended up basically shitting out of my mouth.

"Then, I got very dehydrated. I was drinking coffee, too, thinking that would help, and all of that actually just made it worse. It was like if you're lost at sea and you think, 'Oh well, this is great. At least I've got nothing but water,' and you start drinking that seawater, it doesn't work even though it's water. It actually makes you more dehydrated.

"I like all alcohol. Well, I'm not that crazy about gin. I don't mean that as a disrespect to gin itself or to anyone who likes gin. I like that it's made out of sweet, sweet berries. But no, I love vodka, I love whiskies, I love sweet cherry cordials, I like wines that foam. I like Rumple Minze, too."

Drugs

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Drugs

Andrew W.K.: "That's up to each person. I think drugs are fantastic, but that's just me. It depends how you use them, really. You don't need it because some people don't like drugs or some people might die if they did them, so I would never force them.

"You would have them if you want basically, and that goes for all the stuff. Some people don't like to eat meat; I'm not going to force anyone to have pepperoni pizza just 'cause I like it.

"I saw a person—I actually don't know exactly what drugs they took, but I think they were taking a doctor-prescribed drug for a health condition they already had, and I suppose the story involves them mixing these with the wrong kind of other, maybe non-doctor-prescribed drugs.

"Anyway, they started to vomit blood and had a spasm—a grand mal seizure or whatever—and bit their tongue off, and it was awful. The worst part was that the first 15, 20 minutes of this person spasming, everyone thought he was joking or dancing or wriggling around, so no one did anything until he started puking the blood.

"That could have just been from biting his tongue in half. That was very scary, but he did not die. I didn't know him personally, but I just saw this unfolding. It was quite disturbing, and the party didn't stop either. After he was taken away, everyone kept having a great time."

Music

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Music

Andrew W.K.: "I like dance music, so old disco. I like Chic a lot. I like the musician Cerrone. I like “Hell Bent for Leather” by Judas Priest, and also a song called “United” by Judas Priest.

"If you pick the songs in the right order, you can really throw some oddball tunes in there and actually have them add even more excitement, more contrast, more dynamics to the party.

"You can throw a Mozart song in there. You can throw a John Coltrane song in there. It's just about timing, and that's what makes a great DJ, so never discount the power of contrast in your DJ set."

Karaoke

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Karaoke

Andrew W.K.: "That is a fantastic idea because in order to really properly do karaoke and I guess any kind of singing in front of other people, it involves a certain amount of ego death where you have to really just commit to making somewhat of a fool of yourself.

"Even if you're a very good singer, there's a vulnerability and exposure that happens there when people—at least from my experience—get into that state of exposing themselves or unleashing themselves. The part of their ego or brain that would hold them back melts away temporarily, and that really helps parties.

"I like [to do karaoke] singing “Sweet Georgia Brown.” “I Write the Songs That Make The Whole World Sing” [by Barry Manilow], I like that one. I like “Ace of Spades” by Motörhead. They don't always have that, but if you find that on a karaoke machine, you're in for some fun."

Games

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Games

Andrew W.K.: "Spin the Bottle still holds up quite well. I've never been a big fan of Truth or Dare, so I don't necessarily recommend that one, but other people definitely have fun with that. There's Pin the Tail on the Donkey. That is a very fun game. You can usually find that at any party supply store or birthday store.

"Piñatas, of course, are very fun, but you do have to be careful because you have a blindfolded person swinging a stick, but once they bust open that beautiful, beautiful shape—usually, the shape of an animal of some sort, if not a donkey, an ass, a burro or a pony—free-flowing candy is for everyone."

decorations

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Decorations

Andrew W.K.: "There's never too much. Streamers, tinsel, Christmas lights, those plastic icicles, bean counters, bean bags, bean chairs, those Tiki torch lamps, balloons.

"Confetti is good. But also remember, you don't have to go buy this stuff at a store. You can usually make these kinds of decorations out of garbage and that works just as well. If you take candy wrappers [and] turn them inside out, they usually have a shiny foil on the inside. String those up.

"If you take old pieces of hamburger paper or butcher's paper or newspaper [and] tear 'em into small strips, then you've got your streamers and all that good stuff."

Clean Up

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Clean Up

Andrew W.K.: "Clean-up is usually best done by the host or by a group team effort, but never leave a mess for someone else to clean up that you're responsible for. Especially vomit, diarrhea, blood, semen, mucus, saliva—all that is especially important to clean up yourself."

Parting Party Advice

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Parting Party Advice

Andrew W.K.: "All the stuff that we talked about and listed is just the top, tiniest, little sprinkling beginning peak point taste of what partying can be, and no human being—not even me—could ever possibly try to sum up the power of positive partying, so take this as an inspiration and run with it, and expand it to higher and greater heights that I've even been able to describe here."

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