In breaking news, the United States this week pulled funding for metal-dance hedonist extraordinaire Andrew W.K.’s visit to Bahrain.  I guess someone in the State Department gave him a google and decided he wasn’t the ideal cultural ambassador to a Middle Eastern city-state in the throes of sectarian tensions after all.

The Arab Spring has manifested in Bahrain in the form of sporadic Shia protests against the ruling Sunni minority.  The protests have been going on since early 2011 and are serious enough to get the Saudis involved.  The situation is ongoing: most recently the Bahraini government drew international condemnation for outlawing all gatherings (they were probably thinking of protests, not W.K.-style parties).

Mr W.K. has vowed to make the trip to Bahrain to spread the “positive power of partying” under his own steam.  Godspeed, and party on!