Toucan Facts!

The Toucans are not your ordinary band; no sir. Many factors set the Toucans apart from just about any other band you might find.

The Toucans are an all-acoustic band.

The band can (and does) play just about anywhere, including:
The decks of moving tour boats.
In the middle of a field.
On a cement factory barge.
Far, far out in the woods.
Upstairs, next to the bedroom.
On wiggly flatbed parade floats.
Inside a dog kennel.
Completely submerged.
And More!

 

The Toucans support themselves by playing music!

Yes folks, it IS possible. The Toucans perform over 150 shows a year, mostly during the six months of spring and summer. The band members' other projects keep them busy during the months of Toucan respite.

 

The year 2000 is the official year of the Toucan!

You heard it here first! The Toucans have launched plans for their end-of-the-millennium performance atop Mount Fuji. The Toucans will be performing on a futuristic set featuring hydraulic lifts, electronically coordinated flame jets, and over 27 costume changes for tenor bassist Toucan Leo. Scheduled celebrity appearances include Rutger Hauer, Samuel Clemens, and a special new millennium dedication by Carrie Fisher! With a laser light show designed by Mr. Light & Magic, the Toucans Millennium Celebration is sure to be a hit!

 

The Steel Drum is the newest instruments in the world.

Invented just over 50 years ago, the Steel Drum can be found in all kinds of music the world over. Even the synthesizer was first invented before the Steel Drum! The forerunner of the modern synthesizer was the Theremin, a device which generates tones by controlling an electrically-generated sine wave. The Theremin is responsible for the spooky outer-space sounds heard in many 50's B-movies.

 

The Toucans love to teach people about the Steel Drum.

The Toucans will take time to explain the origin and the nature of the Steel Drum to anyone who will listen. Many people can't believe that the Steel Drum makes the sounds it does without any kind of artifical amplification. Some people are sure that there is some hidden mechanism which makes the pans sound the way they do. Wires, vibrating strips of metal, resonant pipes, and even a hidden tape deck have all been suggested by curious fans over the years, but the truth is that the Steel Drum makes the sounds it does all by itself (with a little help from the Toucans). Here, the Toucans show the grounds staff of the Northwest Folklife Festival a thing or two.

 

The Steel Drum is hammered from the original bottom of an old oil drum.

That's right, no welding, no extra pieces, and no using heat to bend the metal (although heat is used to temper the drum after it has been stretched). Each drum must be carefully hand-tuned, using small hammers and some kind of tuning device, like a keyboard or a stroboscope. It can take several days to make a proper Steel Drum.

 

The Toucans can be purists.

For instance, they all think that George Lucas's idea of updating the special effects in the original Star Wars movie sucks. Sheesh! And just TRY changing the intro to their favorite song, Jean and Dinah!

 

The Toucans dream is to be the first band on the moon.

After achieving their goal of being the first underwater steel band, the Toucans thought for a while that nothing could be more spectacular, until one day they realized their true destiny; to be the first band to perform on the lunar surface. The Steel Drums are the perfect instrument for the moon, as they need no amplification, and can also be used to store moon rocks for the return trip. The Toucans are currently working with NASA on a new titanium alloy which will make their pans lighter, more reverberant, and more resistant to micro-meteorite punctures.

 

The Toucans are responsible and upright.

Needless to say, they drive consistently at the legal speed limit, yes sir.

 

The Toucans have mysterious secrets.

Each Toucan has his own private name, the mere whisper of which is sure to bind your chosen Toucan to your will... but only for a time!