Zoofunkyou is a genre-bending blues-funk phenomenon who have brought their quick-witted sonic expressionism and meaningful melodic lyrics to audiences all around the country. Based in Chicago, Zoofunkyou’s gumbo of finely crafted musical elements is a recipe that they’ve been working to perfect since 2013 with different ingredients and instrumentalists interspersed along the way. Zoofunkyou (or “Zoofü”) is dedicated to spreading love through music and creating inclusive events where people from all walks of life can feel safe and bring the emotional gratitude the band exudes from the stage home with them. In the current iteration, founder Derek Dare, Matthew Coglianese, and Jake Hennessy lead an epic ensemble consisting of a total of 5-9 members depending on the performance. As of late, they are typically joined by James Kries on Keys, and Nathan Reider on Alto Saxophone, and when they go for the “full band sound” they are joined by Connor Bernhard on Trumpet, Matt Kowalski on Trombone and Alex Santilli on Percussion. With a wide repertoire of both gripping original music and tasteful covers, their live shows have proven time and time again to enthrall, grow and inspire a vibrant fan base affectionately known as the Zoofü Crew.

The origin story

In the Summer of 2012, Derek Dare founded the power trio initially known as Zoo with high school buddies Noor Al-bana and Damon Karner. Believe it or not, instead of playing guitar he was the bass player at the time. Matt Coglianese joined in the fall and as Derek moved over to his native instrument the band began to develop a searingly intense musical connection. Within a few short years, Zoo came blazing into some of the largest and most revered venues in Chicago like the House of Blues, Martyr’s, and Metro as they began developing a collection of songs released on their eponymous first recording. Jake Hennessey entered the fold on percussion in January 2015, and later in the summer became the drummer as the name changed to Zoofunkyou. Shortly afterward, an EP called “Island #36” was released at the Bottom Lounge with a band called Butter opening the night. Little did they know that night that Bryan Scheinkopf - guitarist of Butter and another early Zoo contemporary, Bullfights on Acid - would join the band in October of 2016. In 2017, the band played at North Coast Music Festival on the same stage as Primus after winning Chicago’s “Toast of the Coast” competition. Within the next 5 months, they began taking their modern day blues-infused psychedelic soulfunk music out on the road. Since then, the band has performed in 28 states! Zoofunkyou has built a devoted fanbase known as “The Zoofü Crew” who brought them all the way to Summer Camp Music Festival in 2019 after winning the “Summer Camp on the Road” competition. Since then, they’ve continued to travel the country with the mission of spreading love through music and friendship. Zoofunkyou has always been a constantly growing and evolving project, and in the fall of 2021 Bryan Scheinkopf made his departure from the group- ushering in a new era of Zoofunkyou. This new group features Brendan Cabrera (keys) and Alex Santilli (percussion) of Chicago’s dreamy indie-soul group “Late Night Laundry”, James Kreis on keys, and a kickin’ horn section consisting of Connor Bernhard on Trumpet, Matt Kowalski on Trombone, and Nathan Reider on Alto Saxophone.