Concert Review: Kid Koala Takes You Elsewhere
If your read me often then you know I have a mild obsession with the idea of “inner child”, and whether growing up means losing it. Personally, it feels impossible to let go of the playfulness or desire to see life like life is a giant, floating fascinating bubble. Kid Koala seems to have the same sentiment, and his Elsewhere show felt like a live-action cartoon; where your inner child could finally play.
From a giant furry spider to vaudeville dancers, Elsewhere felt like a street corner where Kid Koala’s mind exploded. Puppets appeared like we were in the adult version Sesame street. Except this time Elmo came in the form of of a koala, Kid Koala, and he was there to teach us about “FUN” more than “ABC”. The result was the most childlike, glamorous DJ set you will ever experience.
Who can say they saw 1950’s flight attendants, a “puppet-towel monster”, and a sandwich with a happy face, all at once? Well, if you go to a Kid Koala show you can say that you saw that and so much more. It was a full visual experience, of which “Happy Madness!” might be the two terms to best describe how much is happening all at once, which I appreciate considering he is a DJ/ “turntablist”. While being a DJ can be a lucrative business; some challenge it as an “art-form” or as a job of musical depth. While critics can degrade DJ’ing to “pressing play” and watching lights strobe, Kid Koala takes his role as DJ seriously by being the giddiest man alive.
Dressed like a koala, himself, Kid Koala was blending Hip Hop, R&B, and EDM into a groovy fusion that seemed supernatural or surreal. He smiled and bounced around like a human ping pong that was being clap-backed by rhythms that felt both retro and futuristic. Moreover ,he encouraged the crowd to join in on the absurdity of his Gameboy/ Gameshow ambiance, i.e. a kazoo competition and paper plane ambush. It was an “anything can happen” atmosphere; combining music the break-dancing 80’s and 90’s and zooming it into a 3490. Thus, you felt vintage and virtual like you were wearing a neon jump-suit and an astro-pack. Yet, most importantly, you felt it was okay to say that being an adult is really about being a older kid; you still get enamored by bird puppets and baselines that fly. For More Information On Kid Koala Click Here.
