Following that group's disbandment, Bryan and Neil realized they found being in a traditional band a "boring" experience, and set out to start a new musical project together that would be radically different, emphasizing dance-based theatricality, audience interactivity and an unapologetically goofy sense of humor. The duo first formed what they described as an "accessible, non-threatening" " folky pop" ensemble, something they've since derided as a generic and forgettable endeavor. Bonding over their similar tastes in music, the two became quick friends, eventually studying abroad in London and backpacking through Europe together before ultimately deciding to start a band. Koo Koo Kanga Roo was created when Bryan and Neil met while occupying the same student dormitory at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. We want people to have the music as immediately as possible". Although Bryan once said "I'm surprised people can even listen to those songs ", Neil stressed the importance of releasing their music by itself because "e want people to have access to the songs so that they can sing along at the shows. According to Bryan, all of their songs are written expressly for their live shows and the audience participation that accompanies them, and thus are never considered outside of that specific context. With the exception of Whoopty Whoop, their " greatest hits" compilation Rad-trospective and the 2021 album Slow Clap, none of Koo Koo Kanga Roo's music is sold in a physical format, as the group prefer to release all of their recorded music through " pay what you want" downloads on their website, essentially making the entirety of their catalog available for free. Koo Koo Kanga Roo also sells a variety of unconventional merchandise, ranging from official coloring books to a "mustache-on-a-stick". Īppropriately, Koo Koo Kanga Roo's merchandise table is just as mired in kid-friendly activity, regularly including such features as a station to make friendship bracelets - where Bryan and Neil strictly enforce a rule that if someone makes a bracelet, they must give it to a person they've never met before - and the "Koo Koo Kamera", a webcam where concert attendees can take their pictures together and have them uploaded to the group's website. Neil has also mentioned that Koo Koo Kanga Roo's songs try to touch on a nostalgia factor for older audiences, drawing on his and Bryan's memories of childhood one prominent example includes the duo's tradition of throwing a playground parachute into the crowd at the end of their sets, the kind "that you remember from PE class in elementary school". "It's not about being a kids' thing, it's about being a fun thing". "We shoot for goofy, more than kids' music specifically", Neil elaborated. Despite this, Bryan and Neil hesitate to label themselves as a "kid's band", instead referring to Koo Koo Kanga Roo as "a kid's band for adults" that aims to connect with all ages. The subject matter of Koo Koo Kanga Roo's songs rarely stray from juvenile "goofball" territory, covering such topics as cats, dinosaurs, letters of the alphabet, ninjas, food fights, fanny packs, hopscotch, slumber parties and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The duo's songs are written explicitly for the purposes of audience participation, featuring sing-along verses and/or choruses often utilizing a call and response technique, and almost always including a simple dance move unique to each song that Bryan and Neil encourage the audience to follow along with. Bryan and Neil are the only members of Koo Koo Kanga Roo, and thus perform all of their songs against pre-recorded backing tracks played from their iPods over the venue's PA system. Koo Koo Kanga Roo have defined themselves foremost as a live band, with their performances and audience interaction being the pure core of the group, even more so than their recorded music.
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