Recess Monkey to Play Seattle's Benaroya Hall, 5/17

Fans of Seattle's beloved kindie rockers Recess Monkey, have seen the band in action at the circus, atop a moving Washington State Ferry, and even as an opening act for the Dalai Lama in front of 50,000 people, but they've never seen them like this! For the first time ever, Recess Monkey will perform with members of the Seattle Symphony in two high-voltage, all ages shows at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17 in Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle.

Recess Monkey has seized the gauntlet of challenge to make these the dancing-est shows ever played at Benaroya Hall, and -- with the help of kids and parents -- they know they'll succeed. "Uke Island" will be the theme, and Recess Monkey will explore the islands through an abundance of the band's songs that feature ukuleles, including the debuts of several tunes from their soon-to-be-released album, Wired. As always, there'll be more disco dancing, knock-knock jokes and insanely catchy sing-alongs than you can shake a drumstick at, with every song powered by Recess Monkey's trademark, pitch-perfect understanding of what gets kids excited. With Jherek Bischoff's lush orchestrations pairing Recess Monkey on ukulele, bass, and percussion with an ensemble of incredible Seattle Symphony string and woodwind players, these are sure to be performances that define the word "unforgettable."

Says Recess Monkey's Jack Forman, "It's a downright honor to get to hear our songs through the accomplished lens of the Seattle Symphony! We've always worked to present music in a way that's really approachable by kids -- intentionally playing on low stages to keep the experiences kid-scale -- and it's super cool that the Symphony has made that kind of organic, kid-centric energy a priority, too. Just imagining how many kids in the audience might try playing an instrument for the first time (or rethink the one they're already playing) as a function of our unique collaboration gives me goose bumps!"

Watch Recess Monkey in action on their Youtube channel HERE.

When not rocking out with Recess Monkey, Jack Forman serves as a popular on-air personality on SiriusXM's Kids Place Live, where his daily call-in show, Live From the Monkey House, is a hysterical mashup of game show segments, kid callers, special musical guests, and the best kids' and family music out there! Jack is really excited about greeting his Live From the Monkey House fans "up close and personal" after each of the May 17 shows.

Putting a razor-sharp, fantastical edge on the sense of wonder and exploration that's at the heart of "the everyday lives of kids," Recess Monkey weaves puns, jokes, stories, and shenanigans into its shows. No play on words is too much of a stretch, and no rhyming schemes are too out of bounds for the group's genre-bending cascade of catchy ditties that NPR described as "inventive, brilliant, multilayered." Audiences unanimously hail Recess Monkey's live shows "a great way to spend an hour rocking out!"

Ten Recess Monkey songs have reached #1 on SiriusXM's Kids Place Live chart. Time Magazine celebrated Recess Monkey's "tight, smart, acclaimed original songs ... and seriously grooving funk." Explained kids' music authority Stefan Shepherd (Zooglobble.com), "Recess Monkey just keeps turning out album after album with pop nuggets, as if we'd just discovered that The Beatles had recorded a ton of kids' music 40+ years ago."