Koo Koo Kanga Roo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Koo Koo Kanga Roo
Koo Koo Kanga Roo performing in 2012. From left to right: Bryan and Neil
Background information
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Genres	Dance-pop, hip hop, synthpop, children's music
Years active	2004-present
Members	Bryan Atchison Neil Olstad

Koo Koo Kanga Roo is a super fun American music duo from Minneapolis, Minnesota. It's made up of two awesome guys, Bryan Atchison and Neil Olstad. They call themselves an "interactive dance party duo" because their shows are all about getting the audience involved!

They're often described as "the Beastie Boys meet Sesame Street." Imagine silly songs you can sing along to, each with its own easy dance move. Bryan and Neil travel all over the country, playing for kids' events and even at music clubs with rock bands!

What is Koo Koo Kanga Roo?

Koo Koo Kanga Roo is mostly known for their amazing live shows. Getting the audience involved is the most important part of what they do, even more than their recorded music. Bryan and Neil are the only members of the group. They play all their songs using pre-recorded music from their iPods through the venue's sound system.

Their songs are written especially for audience participation. This means they have parts you can sing along to, often using a "call and response" style where the audience repeats what they sing. Almost every song also has a simple dance move that Bryan and Neil teach the audience to do along with them.

Fun Song Topics

The songs by Koo Koo Kanga Roo are usually about silly, fun things. They sing about cats, dinosaurs, letters, ninjas, food fights, fanny packs, hopscotch, slumber parties, and even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

Even though their songs are playful, Bryan and Neil don't just call themselves a "kid's band." They say Koo Koo Kanga Roo is "a kid's band for adults" too, because they want to connect with people of all ages. Neil explained that they aim for "goofy" rather than just "kids' music." He said, "It's not about being a kids' thing, it's about being a fun thing."

Neil also mentioned that their songs try to bring back happy childhood memories for older audiences. For example, at the end of their shows, they throw a playground parachute into the crowd, just like the ones you might remember from gym class in elementary school!

Cool Merchandise

Koo Koo Kanga Roo's merchandise table is also full of kid-friendly activities. They often have a station where you can make friendship bracelets. Bryan and Neil have a strict rule for this: if you make a bracelet, you have to give it to someone you've never met before! They also have the "Koo Koo Kamera," which is a webcam where concertgoers can take pictures together. These pictures then get uploaded to the group's website.

They sell unique merchandise too, like official coloring books and even a "mustache-on-a-stick."

Most of Koo Koo Kanga Roo's music is available for free online. They prefer to release their songs as "pay what you want" downloads on their website. This means you can get almost all their music for free! Bryan said that all their songs are made for their live shows and for people to join in. Neil added that they want people to have easy access to the songs so they can learn the words and sing along at the shows.

The Story of Koo Koo Kanga Roo

Koo Koo Kanga Roo started in 2004. Bryan and Neil first met when they were living in the same college dorm at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. They quickly became friends because they liked similar music. They even studied abroad in London and traveled through Europe together. After that, they decided to start a band.

Their first band was a "folky pop" group, but they found it a bit boring. So, Bryan and Neil decided to create a new music project that would be totally different. They wanted it to be all about dancing, audience interaction, and a super silly sense of humor. Neil told The A.V. Club that they wanted to be entertaining and have a good time. He said, "That's the premise behind Koo Koo Kanga Roo: including everyone and having a good time."

Even though they didn't have a clear plan at first, Bryan and Neil kept working on their idea until it became Koo Koo Kanga Roo. They were inspired by bands like Of Montreal, The Flaming Lips, Best Fwends, The Cool Kids, and Flight of the Conchords.

Touring and Videos

Besides releasing music, Koo Koo Kanga Roo became popular by sharing many funny sketches and music videos on YouTube. They also toured a lot locally, playing in many different places. They performed at traditional music venues, clubs, children's birthday parties, preschools, elementary schools, weddings, nursing homes, and even church basements!

In 2009, they started touring outside of Minnesota. They even toured with the family-friendly superhero rock band The Aquabats in 2010 and 2011. They also joined tours with the ska punk band Reel Big Fish and performed on the Yo Gabba Gabba! live tour for ten days.

Koo Koo Kanga Roo often plays for adult audiences on tour. Sometimes, punk and rock crowds are surprised by their unique style. In 2013, Koo Koo Kanga Roo opened for popular folk punk artists Frank Turner and The Smith Street Band. They played in big venues where the audience wasn't always sure what to think of them. Frank Turner even said, "People don't know what to make of them... I love them." When people were rude, Neil said they would ask the people who were having fun to go hug the "angry guys"!

On October 2, 2013, Koo Koo Kanga Roo released their own children's book called Unicorns R Real. Soon after, they released a DVD called House Party with Koo Koo Kanga Roo. This was a fun "dance-a-long" workout video with seventeen of their songs. In early 2014, they signed with Fun Fun Records, which is a children's music label connected to Asian Man Records. They released their third full album, Whoopty Whoop, on May 14. In the summer of 2014, they toured with The Aquabats again. In September, they went back to the United Kingdom for a sixteen-show tour opening for Frank Turner.

Partnership with GoNoodle

In 2012, Koo Koo Kanga Roo started working with GoNoodle. GoNoodle is a media platform used in most elementary schools in the US. This partnership helped introduce Koo Koo Kanga Roo to many teachers, kids, and parents. Some of their most famous videos, like "Milkshake," "Pop See Ko," "Pop See Ko 2.0," "Roller Coaster," and "Dino Stomp," were created during this time.

The partnership with GoNoodle officially ended in late 2017. However, as of May 2020, the Koo Koo Kanga Roo videos made during that time are still available on GoNoodle's channels. You can find them on their website, mobile apps, Apple TV, Amazon Fire platforms, and the GoNoodle YouTube channel.

Music and Videos

Here's a list of some of Koo Koo Kanga Roo's music and videos.

Albums

• The Everlasting Slumber Party (2009)
• Critters (2012)
• Whoopty Whoop (2014, Asian Man/Fun Fun)
• The Triangle of Success, A Motivational, Inspirational Audio Guide to Achieving Your Dreams (2016)

EPs (Smaller Albums)

• Uncrustable (2010)
• The Golden Staircase of Destiny (2011)
• Midnight Slushie (2011)
• Space Bots & Tater Tots (2012)
• Viral: Songs About Cats and Stuff (2013)
• Gross (2015)
• Fast Casual (2018)

Compilations (Collection of Songs)

• Rad-trospective (2014)

Singles (Individual Songs)

• "All Day Par Tay" (June 2011)
• "Unicorns R Real" (October 2013)
• "Fanny Pack" (February 2014)
• "Face Mask" (September 2020)

Video Releases

• House Party with Koo Koo Kanga Roo (December 2013)

Music Videos

• "Rollin' in the Minivan" (November 2008)
• "Lava Tag" (September 2009)
• "Shake Yo Foot" (January 2011)
• "Push all the Buttons" (March 2011)
• "Pirate Prep" (April 2011)
• "Hopscotch" (June 2011)
• "Awesome Rainbows" (July 2011)
• "Ninja Training (ft. Justin Pierre)" (August 2011)
• "Bestest Friend" (October 2011)
• "LMNOP" (January 2012)
• "Dinosaur Stomp" (February 2012) †
• "No Crust" (May 2012)
• "Cat Party" (August 2013) †
• "Fanny Pack" (March 2014)
• "The Coolest Person" (March 2014)
• "Unibrow" (October 2014)
• "Chillax" (September 2014) †
• "Secret Handshakes #1" (September 2014) †
• "Skip Counting" (September 2014) †
• "This Or That" (September 2014) †
• "Get Yo Body Movin'" (September 2014) †
• "Roller Coaster" (September 2014) †
• "Pop See Ko" (September 2014) †
• "Secret Handshakes #2" (September 2014) †
• "Weird Sounds" (September 2014) †
• "I Get Loose" (September 2014) †
• "Secret Handshakes #3" (September 2014) †
• "Just Kidding" (April 2015) †
• "Wobbly Man" (April 2015) †
• "Birthday Hooray" (April 2015) †
• "Secret Handshakes #4" (April 2015) †
• "Pop See Ko 2.0" (April 2015) †
• "Milkshake" (April 2015) †

† - Only available on GoNoodle

Books

• The Koo Koo Kanga Roo Koloring Book: Adventures of Awesomeness and Grandeur!! coloring book (November 2010) - written by Bryan & Neil, illustrated by Mel Potts
• Unicorns R Real children's book (December 2013) - written by Bryan & Neil, illustrated by Mel Potts
• Cat Party children's book (April 2014) - written by Bryan & Neil, illustrated by Mel Potts