Andrew W.K. performs at The Vault in Temecula on Oct. 18, 2013. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)
Andrew W.K. promised a party and that’s what the rocker brought to The Vault in Temecula on Friday, Oct. 18.
The intimate show was part of W.K.’s “Party Messiah” tour and featured only him on the keyboards, plus his dancer/backup singer/tour manager/hype man Blakey Boy.
(Remember how the Mighty Mighty Bosstones have Ben Carr, their dancing member? Imagine him crossed with a wind-up dancing toy that pirouettes, pumps its fists in the air and keeps the party vibe going. That’s Blakey Boy.)
This was not your typical rock show, something W.K. reiterated throughout the evening.
“It’s just a party,” he told the crowd.
PHOTO GALLERY: Andrew W.K. at The Vault in Temecula
With fog machines setting the mood, W.K. took the stage in his typical white T-shirt, white jeans and white sneakers and launched into “It’s Time to Party,” stuffing a microphone in the front of his pants. (It was a matter of efficiency, not an obscene gesture.)
He spent most of the show behind the keyboard, his long brown hair bouncing as he pounded on the keys.
W.K. told the crowd the show was his first visit to the Inland Empire and praised the opening bands, particularly Temecula’s Midnight Satellites.
Andrew W.K. performs at The Vault in Temecula on Oct. 18, 2013. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)
The night of music also included Strike Twelve, The Coltranes, The Infamous They and Ascension.
The supporting bands also showed their appreciation for W.K.. The merch table was easily the most raucous area of fans during W.K.’s set, with synchronized dancing, chanting and general partying.
W.K. also complimented The Vault from the stage. His Inland Empire adoration continued when he tried to change the lyrics to “I Love NYC” to “I Love Inland Empire.”
It didn’t quite work as well as New York City in the song, but the crowd appreciated the effort.
The set was filled with W.K.’s party-centric favorites, primarily from his debut album “I Get Wet. Highlights included “Ready to Die” and “Party Hard.”
I also think there’s something hilarious about singing “We Want Fun” and its party-centric, let’s get wasted lyrics in an all ages club in Temecula where the hardest things you can ingest are a can of Coke and M&Ms.
Andrew W.K. had the crowd count backwards from 100 before topping the night off with the title track “I Get Wet.”
But the party wasn’t quite over. He invited fan Petre Spassov, of Fullerton, onto the stage after the song. Spassov proposed to his girlfriend, Becky Radu, on the stage. She said yes.
Spassov had been planning the proposal for six months. Why propose at an Andrew W.K. show?
“I love Andrew W.K. He got me through some hard times,” Spassov said.