Koo Koo Kanga Roo

The Abbey • Orlando, Florida • May 7, 2023

by Christopher Long

The Sunday service was set for a 1 pm commencement. However, at noon, the faithful already had begun to converge. From tattooed, blue-haired adults to pre-inked, innocent-looking tikes, it was an eclectic flock of approximately 300 followers. Coincidentally, the sanctuary would be The Abbey, one of the premier worship venues in Orlando’s swanky downtown district. Possessing the appeal of typical youth ministry pastors, today’s service would be led by Bryan and Neil — a traveling Minneapolis-based outreach known collectively as Koo Koo Kanga Roo. Let the games begin!

“Orlandooo! I-love-you!” proclaimed Bryan, as he and his Koo Koo co-conspirator Neil took the stage amid thunderous crowd approval. “We’re gonna play some dance songs,” Neil added. “So you better move, or else!” Donning their famous matching black “Koo” T-shirts, the dynamic duo kicked off the 55-minute tracked performance in short order with one of their longtime staples, “Fanny Pack,” a tune that Bryan announced as being “about the greatest accessory in the world.”

Since first launching back in 2008, Koo Koo Kanga Roo has evolved from a quirky opening, opening (opening) club act for various indie up-and-comers, to a beloved Warped Tour oddity, to a wildly popular, internationally recognized kids’ entertainment brand. To Bryan and Neil’s credit, they’ve managed to grow their massive youth demographic without alienating their adult audience.

Consistently silly and always infectious, Koo Koo Kanga Roo’s ’90s-inspired, house-style tunes resonated best with their super-young disciples, as they all danced and sang along to every song. However, the duo’s extensive in-between-song banter regarding Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, old-school ska bands, and seasonal depression spoke directly to the 30-somethings and over.

“We’ve played every dirty coffee shop and club in Florida,” Bryan confessed, further describing Central Florida as, “the land of ‘the rat.’” Displaying true artist transparency, Neil offered, “If you don’t like the show, let us know. We’d rather you boo, than be there indifferently.”

In sum, there was NO booing today — not from this bumper crop of believers — only singing, shouting, dancing, and… LOTS of smiles! ◼

Koo Koo Kanga Roo Set List

1. Fanny Pack

1. Superheroes Unite

1. Forklift

1. All I Eat is Pizza

1. Hot Sauce

1. Rollercoaster

1. Ice Cold Lemonade

1. Get Yo Body Movin’

1. Glitter

1. Ink

1. Monster Moves

1. Pop See Ko

1. Who Farted?

1. Cat Party

Koo Koo Kanga Roo