Photo by Ryan Gladstone / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo

Andrew W.K. talks with Dan Mengel on stage after the musician invited the audience to dance with him for the conclusion of the his motivational speech on Thursday night at Kemper Recital Hall on the Missouri Western State University campus.

Rock musician Andrew W.K.’s message to have fun is still the same. It’s just softened a bit.

His 2001 debut album “I Get Wet” sold hundreds of thousands of copies and brought him international fame with songs such as “It’s Time to Party,” “Party Hard,” and “Fun Night.”

But the fast-paced, guitar-heavy, anthemic tunes he’s known for have given way to a sincere speaking tone from a piano bench, discussion about being positive, and having fun any way you can.

Andrew W.K. (Wilkes-Krier) brought his spoken-word/impromptu piano-playing/motivational performance to Missouri Western State University’s Kemper Recital Hall Thursday with about 100 in attendance.

“I’m going to play the piano,” he said in some of his first words on stage, “and then we’ll talk.”

Visible occasionally on MTV, the 28-year-old long-haired musician from New York City still wears his trademarked white T-shirt, white pants and signature black wrist watch.

“Nobody can save anything in a bad mood,” he said of thinking positive and being mindful of negative words — thought or spoken.

His Web site claims that he creates music without meaning “beyond happiness and pleasure in its most pure form.” He began spreading the “have fun” message a couple of years ago with a lecture at New York University and has stuck with it.

Smashing the ego and letting go is one way to get to the “fun” place, said Andrew W.K., who claims he is more nervous and feels more vulnerable on speaking tours than when rocking out with a band.

Perhaps to prove his point, or maybe just to have fun, he brought two audience members on stage Thursday night to sing along with two of his more well-known songs, “I Get Wet” and “We Have Fun.” One man was a fan from Omaha, Neb. Andrew W.K., who obviously takes his fans seriously, surprised the audience by knowing the fan’s last name. Yet the fan was reluctant to join him on stage for a sing-along.

“You don’t want to come up (to the stage) because it’s too intense?” Andrew W.K. asked. “Well then you have to come up.”

And everyone had fun.

He ended the one-hour performance by bringing to the stage Dan Mengel, a 67-year-old man St. Joseph man, who said he loves to dance. They were joined by three others for a brief yet spirited thrashing about before an out-of-breath Andrew W.K. said thanks and adjourned to the lobby to mingle and sign posters.

Jimmy Myers can be reached

at jimmym@npgco.com.