Andrew W.K. performs on stage at Manchester Academy on April 13, 2012 in Manchester, U.K.
It was a tough job, but somebody had to set the new record for Longest Drum Session in a Retail Store. (Right?)
MTV is reporting—though Reuters says it’s unconfirmed by Guinness—that rocker Andrew W.K., known for using the word “party” in every part of speech, has set a world record by drumming for 24 hours straight in the Oakley store in Manhattan’s Times Square. And yes, he wore sunglasses while he did it.
The occasion for the June 19 performance were the O Music Awards, a fan-driven event honoring “the best in digital music.” (Andrew W.K., who was joined on the drums by other winners, like Lil Bub—who won “Best Twitter Artist.”)
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So how did he do it? The singer told MTV that he ate six hard-shell tacos, as well as protein bars, and was dealing with “real physical pain.” Not that he sat still at the drum set all day: in announcing that he would be attempting the feat, W.K. said that he would allow himself five minutes each hour to go to the bathroom and to eat, and that he had an incentive plan in mind:
To survive a 24-hour drum marathon, the first thing I would say is to be hydrated and well-fed … you want to be thinking about pizza… Sort of like dangling a carrot in front of a greyhound doggie, it will keep chasing that carrot. So I may put a hot pizza just out of arm’s reach … have a fan waft the odor and aroma, and that may tantalize me as a rich reward; at the end of the 24-hour period, I get to bite down on that pizza pie.
And what did he do right after? Appropriately, considering the award he’d just won, he tweeted:
WE DID IT!!! 24 HOURS OF DRUMMING!!! Remember… I didn’t do it, WE did it. You were with me every beat. I feel very emotional and party.
— ANDREW WK (@AndrewWK) June 20, 2013