Photo courtesy The Windish Agency
Since his 2001 debut album, “I Get Wet,” Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier, better known as Andrew W.K., has added a few things to his résumé: motivational speaker, pizza aficionado, advice columnist and founder of an anti-political political movement (see: The Party Party). The latter is the impetus for his national speaking tour, The Power of Partying, which brings him to Capital Ale House on Nov. 9, so we caught up with the party legend to talk the transcendence of pizza, his favorite RVA meal and the party spirit. $23. capitalalehouse.com.
Richmond magazine: OK, why a speaking tour?
Andrew W.K.: I hope everyone in that room with me gets to feast together on the core power of being alive and comes out feeling fortified and bolstered and replenished with a renewed sense of optimism, energized enthusiasm, and determination to remain strong and to party hard.
RM: You often talk about partying as a way to bring people together. How does food fit into that?
AWK: Well, I think just about everyone has to eat. … Any time we can identify a fundamental shared human experience, it can’t help but bond you to the people around you.
RM: Tell us about your love of pizza.
AWK: [Pizza is] a phenomenon. I can envision the atmosphere of a pizza — the look, the smell, the ordering process, the colors, the packaging — and thinking about that gives me almost as much joy as actually eating it.
RM: You’ve been to Richmond a few times — any favorite meals?
AWK: I believe the first time I ever went to a Steak ’n Shake was in Richmond, right after we played a concert. It was probably our first show ever in Richmond. I had a milkshake. And then I had another milkshake. Both strawberry. Both very good.
RM: What are you hoping people take away from this event?
AWK: I hope The Power of Partying reinforces that life is worth living, even when it’s hard, and that just because life is challenging doesn’t mean it’s bad. I hope we get at least a small sliver of a shadow of a reflection of a fragment of Truth. But even if we just party together in a room for a couple hours and encourage each other — like a pep rally for the human spirit — that will make me happy. And maybe that’s as close to Truth as we can get anyway.
