The last concert I went to before the world took a pause on live music for global pandemic reasons was in December 2019. For someone like me who has been a concert rat for more than half my life, this last year and a half has been rough. Music and concerts are an integral part of who I am. For instance, I met my wife because of music, and our first real date was a concert.
During the early days of the pandemic, I watched plenty of livestreams to scratch the itch. Even that became too hard as time went on though. I craved the real thing and watching someone over Instagram Live just wasn’t cutting it anymore.
Now that I’m vaccinated and I’m seeing shows starting to get announced for Fall, a little hope is starting to creep back into my life. To tide me over until that magic day when I can see my favorite bands in person again, I’ve been looking back on some of my most memorable and favorite concert experiences. Naturally, the craving for that live music adrenaline rush started creeping back while I was reminiscing.
For some reason, no matter what show I’m thinking about, my mind kept wandering back to a sweaty evening spent in a basement watching Andrew WK in 2013. After a quick YouTube search, I discovered someone was brave enough to film the show. As soon as I started watching it, the memories of that evening came rushing back, so here I am.
If You Don’t Know, You Don’t Go
I attended my first secret show in the late ’90s. It was put on by Coca-Cola as part of their “IYDKYDG” campaign. It was one of those deals where you had to get to the venue at a certain time and you had no idea who was going to play. There were whispers of who it could be, but no one was certain until the venue opened. You also weren’t guaranteed to get in because they gave out more passes than capacity in case people didn’t show up. I remember being nervous about getting in, so we got there pretty early. All ended up being fine of course. The surprise band ended up being Blink 182, so fun was had by all.
Howell, Michigan’s Premiere Music Festival
Fast forward to Saturday, May 25, 2013. This was the day for the annual Bled Fest in Howell, Michigan. While it doesn’t exist anymore, Bled Fest was one of the best festivals for independent music in the state. Howell is a pretty small town all things considered, so it was always impressive to see the caliber of bands they would get to headline each year. On this particular year, Andrew WK was on the bill. As the story goes, local favorite Flint Eastwood was able to convince him to join the bill with a viral party video that they created.
Bled Fest went off without a hitch as usual, but during the day, there were rumblings locally, and on the internet of another show happening in Ann Arbor after Bled Fest was over. Andrew WK even posted a few cryptic things about it throughout the day. Then, at a few minutes after 9:00 pm, this tweet went out.
Andrew WK Was Officially Playing a Secret Show Ten Minutes From My House
I spent the entire day speculating on what I would do if it came true. Then, when it became true, I started worrying about whether I should go or not. At the time, I was in my early 30s and I thought it would be weird to just go to a frat house at midnight. My wife helped me realize that sometimes, you just have to let go of self-doubt and make the leap at once in a lifetime opportunities. It was a Saturday after all, so if I was out super late, I could sleep in the next day. I’m sure I wouldn’t have needed that much coaxing or rationalization if I were ten years younger, but so be it. The only thing that really matters is that I went, and almost ten years later, I still remember the evening fondly.
Party Hard in a Residential Zone
Before getting into what happened that night, it’s important to set the stage a little bit. The show was in the basement of a Frat House just outside the campus of the University of Michigan. It’s in one of the more well to-do neighborhoods actually.
Affectionately named “Metal Frat”, the brothers of that frat have been booking shows in that basement for years (I’m not sure if they still are though to be honest). Everyone from Ted Leo & the Pharmacists to We Are The Union have played down in that basement. Now, it was Andrew WK’s turn. Andrew is originally from Ann Arbor and went to Community High School there, so this show also served as a fundraiser for his alma mater, which was a nice touch.
The Anticipation for Andrew WK Builds
I found some side street parking and walked to the Frat, paid my $5, and saw lots of younger folks coming in with cases of beer. I didn’t think of bringing any refreshments, which was a decision I would soon regret, but so be it. As I walked down the stairs into the basement, I was met with a sea of people. This was right before 11:00 PM and the basement was already at capacity. We still had an hour before Andrew WK would play, or so we thought. Shortly after I arrived, they stopped letting people in, so perfect timing on my part. After looking at the crowd, I’m pretty sure the Fire Marshall would’ve been a bit grumpy if they went down and paid us a visit.
I was able to find a small pocket against the wall, but it quickly closed up as we stood patiently waiting for the main attraction. When midnight rolled along, Andrew WK wasn’t there. There was a delay unfortunately, and some folks started getting restless. No one lost their sense of community though. Folks were passing beers and water around and making sure people stayed hydrated. Then, at 1:00 in the morning, in a basement in downtown Ann Arbor, it was officially time to party.
It’s Time to Party … at 1:00 AM
As soon as the opening guitar riff of “It’s Time to Party” hit, the lights went off. Andrew WK counted down from three and it was officially on. What ensued was one of the most memorable 30 minutes of live music I’ve ever experienced. It was loud, urgent, and unforgettable. Andrew WK and the band belted through a seven song set (which included “Party Hard” twice naturally). In between songs, Andrew would have some fun Ann Arbor-specific banter as well, which got plenty of pops from the crowd. At times, it was hard to hear what was going on, but it didn’t really matter. It was awesome.
Since we were all packed in like sardines, there wasn’t much moving going on during the songs. Instead, it was more like waves crashing against the beach continuously, and we were the waves. From time to time, people would reach up to the beams lining the ceiling to help keep balance. Sometimes, folks were so excited, they took to hitting the drywall and the ventilation ducts.
From time to time, crowd surfers would make it up with only inches of clearance from the ceiling. Looking back on it now at 40, there were so many opportunities for people to get hurt, but in the moment, none of that mattered. We were partying with 200 of our closest friends in sauna-like conditions. It was hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable the entire time. And, I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.
Live Fast, Die Hard – The Most Punk Rock Concert Experience I’ve Ever Had
Like any good punk rock album, Andrew WK’s set was over just as it was getting going. A 30 minute sonic burst of energy that I’ll never forget. It was all worth it – the initial apprehension, the two hour wait in sauna-like conditions, and the 30 minutes of raw power that ensued. I’ve never had a concert experience like it, and I don’t think I ever will again. I’m so glad I was one of the lucky few who made it into the basement on that fateful night.
I miss live music. I can’t wait to have these types of feelings again. Until then, at least I still have my memories. It’s not quite time yet, but when it’s time to party, we will party hard once again.
