Philadelphia Weekly

>>Seriously happy

Andrew W.K.

Tues., May 1, 7:30pm. $8. First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. 866.468.7619. www.r5productions.com

Contagiously upbeat and super-dumb party-anthem-hollering rock star Andrew W.K. doesn't look, sound or even smell like your average perma-grinning, touchy-feely motivational guru. But that doesn't mean he won't motivate the shit out of you. Following the trail blazed by punk legend Henry Rollins, W.K. has reinvented himself as a spoken-word artist--and in doing so he's become an unstoppable juggernaut of verbal positivity. His speaking engagements are already the stuff of legend, and now he's bringing the good vibes to Philly. Both a lecture and a Q&A session are on the agenda--and if they're anything like his music shows, you'll walk away grinning like a dolphin. The man is Prozac in tight leather trousers. (Maggie Serota)

>>Putt-ing on a show

Preston and Steve's Mini-Masters

Sun., April 29, 11am-4pm. Free. Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St. 215.627.1332. www.wmmr.com

All sports are better miniaturized. Pingpong rules over tennis any day. Air hockey is way more violent than ice hockey (if played properly). But the ultimate in tiny sports is miniature golf. WMMR's Preston and Steve realized the greatness of this tiny sport--who doesn't love those little pencils?--and have made a full-blown tournament out of it. The Mini-Masters will showcase 72 mini-golfers vying for the grand prize of a two-year lease on a Mini-Cooper and $2,500. Runner-up prizes include a mini-fridge and a trip to Minneapolis. In a stroke (or putt, rather) of sheer genius there'll be live music from Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns--a band whose lead singer is a midget. Shrinkage has never been cooler. (Aly Semigran)

>>Go(guin) Kart

Art Buggy Derby 2.0

Sun., April 29, 1pm. $20. Washington Square Park, Sixth and Walnut sts. www.artbuggy.com

Feeling depressed and uninspired about the state of the world? Art Buggy Derby 2.0 gives Philadelphians the chance to race cool little art-cars around a park. You just need to come up with a small foot-powered vehicle that leaves an artistic mark of its journey on a "canvas" that's part of the buggy (leaving a trail of paint on the ground is a no-no). Art Buggy is the brainchild of MakePhilly--a group founded by Harris Romanoff and David Thorsrud to bring creative Philadelphians together. Put your creative energies into an amazing buggy that could win you up to $500, or just head out to the park to enjoy the festivities and get a little inspiration. (Jack Schonewolf)

>>Sneaker preview

F77 Table Tennis Tournament Party

Sun., April 29, 4:30pm. North Bowl, 909 N. Second St. 215.238.2695. www.puma.com

High-end fashion, contemporary art, French food and pingpong. Bet you never thought you'd see that particular melange in Philadelphia. If you're not hip to current trends, table tennis is cool again for the first time since the nets were taken down for beer pong. Now it's back and better than ever, emerging as the main attraction of this competition/dance party/fashion-show bash. Celebrating 1977, a golden year for both pop culture and sports (Studio 54 opened, Elvis Presley died, punk broke and Pel� played his final game), and in celebration of its new French-77 clothing line, Puma is at the helm of this pingpong madness. Three-member teams up for a little paddle-battle play in the tourney while DJ Botany 500 and DJ Siyoung spin tracks. Participants and fans alike can feast on French-inspired snacks, check out local art in the Paddle & Table Art Gallery and watch two-time U.S.A. Hardbat champ Lim-Ming Chui show everyone how pingpong is supposed to be played. (Lex Chalat)