Welcome to Kiddoo and the Dude’s Funky Freakshow!

by Kiddoo and the Dude

Track listing: Welcome, Let Your Hair Down, Turtle Talk, Circus Jerk, Brand New, I Came For Love, Spliffy's Lament, Johnny Beaver, Talker, Flyin East, Rubby's Crack, Whaddya Say, Heavies Bong, Turtleman, Harry's Reverie, Simon Redrocks, Repreise, So I Scream, Bye

These motherfuckers!

And by that, I mean Kiddoo and the Dude are some MF's to be reckoned with on a live music stage. You've got a cast of characters including Kiddoo, The Dude, an "Argyle," a "Houndstooth," and they even bring a goddamn trampoline onstage. By the time they get to playing, the feeling of utter ecstasy flowing through the audience members' bodies is enough to permanently imprint silly grins on each and every one of their faces.

Suffice it to say, if you haven't seen Kiddoo and the Dude live, you're missing out and need to get off your ass. But we're not gathered here today to fellate Kiddoo's impressive stage show. Nah...the kids and dudes ventured into the studio recently to record their second album, Welcome to Kiddoo and the Dude's Funky Freakshow! Although, the live act preface wasn't entirely pointless—what the band set out to do was capture in a studio the same bravado and circus-like vibe generated in-person.

Well, they've done it. The album kicks off with a sideshow talker's "Welcome," followed by "Let Your Hair Down" which serves as a helpful guide, reminding you to forget about the fact that you may be sitting at your desk at work, or walking through a store with your ear buds in. To fully appreciate the near hourlong party that's about to ensue, you damn sure can't be uptight.

With the mood set, Michael Kiddoo's lead vocal and the ultimate instrumental badassery of his motley crew takes over. The style, composition, and arrangement of Welcome to... Funky Freakshow! seems a distant relative of a Long Island band in the early 90's called Scatterbrain. The two groups share their blend of thrash, funk, punk, metal, and lyrics that are at once witty, intelligent, and downright silly.

Role play's okay but only if we both play. Hell, I could be Barack OB and you could be Michelle.
- "Whatdya Say"

Like a rock 'n' roll child of a Hip-Hop artist and professional wrestler, Kiddoo and the Dude wrote "Brand New," which smacks of an entrance theme song. In fact, you may want to approach your next lunch date with it playing out of your phone from your pocket. Trust me, it'll bring good things your way.

Welcome to... Funky Freakshow! brings together all of the aforementioned genres and more. This album shreds, rocks, funks, dances, jokes, and arouses. It'll make you blush while you headbang and laugh aloud while you dissect the bizarre components of Kiddoo's kinkariffic lyrical musings. For new listeners who are just discovering the band through this review, well, quite literally, Welcome to Kiddoo and the Dude's Funky Freakshow!

Posted on 11/12/15