Even if you don’t recognize Andrew W.K.’s name, chances are you’ve heard at least a few of his songs. In fact, anyone who has seen the “Jackass” movie or any number of beer commercials produced in the past six months has likely been exposed to his music.

With such a great deal of media advertising, one might wonder several things. First, why doesn’t the general population recognize W.K.? And second, why is his debut CD, I Get Wet, still priced (in most places) at under $10?

True, his music lacks substance. Any average Joe could probably pick up a guitar/set of drumsticks/bass/microphone and pretty accurately duplicate Andrew W.K.’s CD without much practice. But it’s this very simplicity that makes him great, as he takes the most fun aspects of playing music (jumping around, partying and just plain rocking out) and comes up with one of the liveliest, most superficial and entertaining records of the year.

He is definitely one of the most unique and in-your-face artists out there today, and to miss his performance Thursday night at Luther’s Blues would be a travesty.

Andrew is squeezing the Madison date in between two stints opening for Aerosmith. The fact that he’s willing to fit in a headlining gig in the midst of such big-time arena rock is a testament to his dedication to his fans as well as his love of the stage, and the chance to see him perform at such a small venue as Luther’s Blues will be an experience all in itself, as he is known for insanely energetic performances (and fans).

Also, opening for Aerosmith has to win him some points in the mainstream rock world — not bad for a 23-year-old from Michigan who came into popularity just two years ago in Europe and has yet to really hit it big in the States.

According to www.awkworld.com, I Get Wet “was recorded in Michigan, Los Angeles, New York City, Colorado, Minnesota and Florida.” When it was released in the United Kingdom in 2001, its first single, “Party Hard,” debuted at No. 14 on the charts. This stunning debut was followed by a whirlwind sold-out European tour and several NME magazine covers, leading up to the album’s March 2002 U.S. release.

Perhaps the reason Americans haven’t quite caught on to Andrew’s music yet is that it is difficult to “label” it as fitting into any specific category. It’s not quite punk, not quite metal, but it’s definitely fun — a fact that would be hard to deny, given the three songs on I Get Wet (of 12) that include the word “party.” It is in this pure entertainment that the real value of Andrew W.K.’s music is found.

W.K.’s debut offers nothing in the way of complicated, in-depth music. In fact, “She is Beautiful” probably has the deepest lyrics of any song on the CD: “I never knew girls existed like you / But now that I do / I’d really like to get to know you.”

The rest of the album consists of party anthems along the lines of the hit single, “Party Hard:” “You work all night / and when you’re work you don’t feel all right / And we / we can’t stop feeling all right / and everything is all right.”

The man himself is something to behold, as well. Sporting a t-shirt that probably used to be white (it appears to have not been washed in several months) and a tattered pair of pants, he looks like he hasn’t showered in days. Couple that dirt with the sweat produced by his hyperactive stage presence and you have one, um, interesting image.

A minor controversy also arose upon the U.S. release of I Get Wet. Besides the title, which was controversial in itself, the cover features an image of Andrew with blood running down his face. He claims it was half sheep’s blood and half his own (from punching himself in the face before the photo shoot); whatever the source, almost all U.S. stores that carry the CD have censored the cover, placing a black strip over the blood.

In reality, one cannot seriously imagine or expect Andrew W.K. to ever create an album that sounds much different from his debut. The album’s odes to partying are nothing but fun — much like Andrew himself.

If you’re looking for a few hours of fist-pumping, head-banging craziness amidst the perils of finals week, Thursday night’s Andrew W.K. show is the perfect solution. Party hard!

Andrew W.K. (with opening acts Shai Hulud and Since By Man) plays at 9 p.m. Thursday night at Luther’s Blues. Tickets are $15 in advance, $17 the day of the show and are available at Luther’s Blues ticket outlets (see www.luthersblues.com for details).