The Current present

Koo Koo - Silly Shindig

with Peelander Z • Mega Ran • Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship • Louis & Dan and the Invisible Band • Derry & The Dirty Dishes

Doors: 11:00 a.m. | Performance: 11:30 a.m. | All Ages

INFORMATION | TICKETS

Koo Koo

Koo Koo was created by Bryan and Neil in 2008. They met four years prior as freshmen at St. Mary’s University in Winona, MN. After being in a campus rock band for the first few years of college, the guys created Koo Koo as an experimental project for SMU’s annual battle of the bands. The idea centered around crowd participation, comedy and dance music, stretching the concept of a what a “band” could be.

The next few years saw Bryan and Neil touring throughout the midwest playing bars, basements, and barbecues. Meanwhile they released their first few albums and music videos. In 2010, the band was chosen to support Orange County superhero rock band The Aquabats on their east coast tour. This turned into more support slots with Reel Big Fish and Yo Gabba Gabba Live. Meanwhile, Koo Koo began creating “dance-a-long” videos (initially as something of a joke) for their songs in order to help demonstrate the moves that audiences would need to know at their shows. These videos were unexpectedly a hit with elementary school teachers, which led Koo Koo into the world of children’s music and becoming a “real” kids band.

More domestic and international touring followed as the guys hit the road with The Vans Warped Tour, Frank Turner & Sleeping Souls, and MC Lars. Concept albums about cats, potty humor, self-help, holidays, and Panera Bread added to the band’s discography. Simultaneously, the popularity of their “brain break” dance-a-long videos continued to skyrocket in classrooms around the world. 

In 2021, Bryan and Neil released their first non-concept album since 2013, partnering with Twin Cities producer extraordinaire Lazerbeak. Slow Clap presents a more hip-hop-centric sound with plenty of grooving bass lines and monstrous drums, while retaining the catchy, weirdo-energy fans expect from the band.

Now they are ready to step into a new realm with their TV series, Oh Yeah Heck Yeah. This fast-paced variety clip show features music videos, sketches, animation and interactive games in their irreverent, high-energy style. The first season consists of five ten minute episodes each premiering a brand new Koo Koo song and video. You can watch their self produced show on the Koo Koo YouTube channel.

More shows, videos, podcast episodes, and antics are yet to come! We hope you’ll join in on the fun as we write the next chapter of Koo Koo.

PEELANDER - Z

PEELANDER-Z, the Japanese Action Comic Punk Band based in NYC and Austin, was originally formed in 1998 by Peelander-Yellow, Peelander-Red, and Peelander-Blue, after meeting in New York City (although they’ll tell you they’re all from the Z area on the planet Peelander). Peelander-Green was welcomed in July 2008 after Blue left the band.

Peelander–Z has appeared at major music festivals including Bonnaroo and the Vans Warped Tour and has also been featured on TV programs such as VH1’s Best Week Ever and Comedy Central’s Upright Citizens Brigade among others. The band has also been covered by SPIN, Rolling Stone, Village Voice, NPR and The Onion among many others.

At its live shows, Peelander–Z guarantees intense audience participation and a chance to exercise. You’ll see the band in colorful costumes reminiscent of Japanese anime, though they describe their outfits as their skin. You’ll also see The Red Squid, human bowling, and all around insanity. A Peelander–Z performance is a rare occasion for the entire family to rock out and have a great time.

Mega Ran

Random, aka Mega Ran, aka RandomBeats... Teacher, Rapper, Hero. DJ, Author…Guinness World Record Holder!

When LA Weekly said that Ran’s “fanbase and niche audiences are growing at a rate not seen since Tech N9ne,” they meant it. A former middle school teacher, Mega Ran (formerly Random) blends education, hip-hop, and gaming in amazing new ways, penetrating the farthest reaches of the galaxy with his unique rhyme style and electric performances.

Ran cut his teeth in the city of Philadelphia as a moonlighting emcee and producer, performing, freestyle rapping, producing and later engineering at a studio. After relocating to Phoenix, competing in the Scribble Jam emcee battle championships and taking an early exit, Ran almost quit before he was even started, when a creative lightning bolt struck, and a fire was lit.

Video games, comic books, and pop culture, all such huge factors in Ran’s upbringing, would begin to seep their way into his musical output, and the results were stunning. In 2007 the album Mega Ran was officially licensed by Capcom, making it the first time an indie rapper had partnered with a AAA game developer. Ran followed that up in 2009 with Splash Woman, an instant smash in nerdy circles. The next year would see Mega Ran team with K-Murdock to release the classic album, Forever Famicom. In 2011 Mega Ran released Black Materia, based on the hit game Final Fantasy VII, and the results were stunning; the album went viral and propelled Ran to leave his teaching job and create music on a full-time basis.

Since then, world tours, several Billboard charting releases, partnerships with major game studios, and even an appearance at a sold-out Madison Square Garden have all been added to Mega Ran’s already padded resume. In 2021 Ran added “author” to his long list of titles when he released Dream Master, a memoir chronicling his quest from the stoops of Philadelphia to his receipt of a Guinness World Record.

Mega Ran has come a long way from his teenage days of freestyle rapping with friends, Philadelphia open mics, and producing beats on a Playstation one with MTV Music Generator. He worked in studios, producing artists from the Philly street scene whose violent lyrics he couldn’t connect with. He dropped his first album, The Call (2006), under the name Random Beats.

He moved to Phoenix and dug back into his video game roots, particularly Mega Man by Capcom, who’s soundtrack lived inside his head. He released Mega Ran (2007) with all beats produced from Mega Man games, and it was a hit. Capcom found the record and gave him a platform, and was instrumental in him being the first rapper to play Comic Con. He became so associated with the record that he changed his name to Mega Ran. He shifted the musical content he was creating primarily to gaming, which led to his Guiness Book of World Records entry for most songs that reference a video game.

Releases like Mega Ran 9 (2009), Forever Famicom (2010) and his Final Fantasy 7 record Black Materia (2011) brought press attention for combining hip hop and gaming. He quit his job and cut his teeth playing mostly sold-out shows on a 50-date tour with MC Chris at the height of his nerdcore fame. He released an abundance of singles and records including RNDM (2015) featuring Open Mike Eagle and Kool Keith, wrestling-heavy albums Mat Mania (2016), Mat Mania: The Revenge (2017), and Wrestling is Real, People are Fake (2023), which lead to WWE song placements and a Ring of Honor Wrestling (ROH) live performance where he actually wrestled. Live ‘95 (2021) focused on his love of ‘90s basketball and features Del the Funky Homosapien.

There’s a mountain of releases and accomplishments in addition to these. Over the pandemic Mega Ran lost a parent and began to reevaluate his life. He sat down and wrote his book Dream Master: A Memoir: From The Stoop to the Stage To The Stars (2020), chronicling his rise from obscurity to Guinness World Record holder.

Mega Ran has done a lot of reflecting and has dug deep into his childhood to create Buddy’s Magic Toy Box. He chose the moments in his life that were most important to him, and would work as wisdom and guidelines to pass down to his own child. This is an album that teaches all of us how to live a loving and compassionate life under the guise of a children’s record. Many adults could benefit from the lessons taught on Buddy’s Magic Toy Box. Mega Ran has been making music for nearly two decades, and has always taken on the responsible moniker of a role model, and the world couldn’t ask for a better ambassador of kindness and joy. Listen to this record with your child, and grow into better members of society together.

Today, Mega Ran is no longer a teacher by title, but maintains a rigorous touring and recording schedule, traveling the world playing rap shows, DJing, and striving to entertain and educate at the same time.

Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship

Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship is a one person electro rock and lol funpocalypse that jams a massive amount of pleasure into your brain in one very teeny tiny package. Superfun and his inflatable 9 foot tall horse Cathy call St. Louis, MO their home, but perform anywhere the road takes them. A Superfun show will find you watching this sweaty, dancing thing sing songs about crabs, donuts, semi trucks and falling in love with Reba McEntire. You’ll laugh, you’ll move your hips and we’ll all have a superfun time! It's music! It's comedy! It's dumb! It's fun!

Louis & Dan and the Invisible Band

Like the great songwriting duos of yesteryear, Louis & Dan bring comedy and smarts to music for today’s families. Best friends, neighbors, and college professors (Louis teaches musicology at St. Olaf College, Dan teaches philosophy at Carleton College), they go together like Tacos and Tuesdays. Louis & Dan blend unique musical talents and clever word play to create deeply authentic and entertaining music. Their whimsical perspectives carry a dash of nostalgia, resulting in music that speaks to curious kids and discerning grown-ups alike. With their one of a kind Invisible Band backing them up, Louis & Dan’s inimitable style of humor, seriousness, and musical sophistication delivers songs you’ll be humming all day.

Derry & The Dirty Dishes

Derry & the Dirty Dishes is a Des Moines rock & roll band for kids and grownups alike. Fronted by Derek Muse Lambert, they play kid-friendly songs from punk to playful indie rock to quirky folk/country.