Concert of the Year, 2018: Andrew WK at The Fillmore
Image by Tracy Graham
As a writer for music blog The Danger!Sound, I get to see more shows in a year than anyone should be lucky enough to. With 2019 upon us, I thought I’d highlight my favorite show of 2018, Andrew WK’s riotous celebration of music and life at The Fillmore.
In summary, I was floored by WK’s performance because of it’s earnest positivity, and in particular his most recent album’s title track, “You’re Not Alone”. After a close family friend took their own life around this time last year, being introduced to this song and WK’s powerful live rendition of it both reduced me to tears while filling me with hope that messages like this exist.
Looking back on this last year and the particular resonance of this set is only more poignant to me after another family loss to suicide last week. My mother and I have been tossing back and forth a line her father/my grandfather loves to say - “Heredity deals you the deck, and environment plays out the hand”. Our family on that side has strong history of mental illness, namely depression/anxiety and bipolar, and it was bittersweet to reflect on which members of our family survived it, and what aspects of their lives may have played a role. I still firmly believe with resources like Andrew WK’s music, that environment can have a bit more of an anchor for those who need it most.
Image by Tracy Graham
