Cheese spreads it on thick with rock/rap parodies

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

From left, Lounge Against the Machine members Bobby Ricotta, singer/comedian Mark Jonathan Davis (better known as Richard Cheese), Buddy Gouda and Gordon Brie will take the stage and parody a number of alt-rock, mod-rock and hip-hop songs during two gigs this weekend at the Wave Waikiki. Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine 8:30 p.m. today and Saturday Wave Waikiki $15 at the door; $12 advance (available at Wave Waikiki, Cheapo's, Too Gruvz Records, Hungry Ear) 21 and older only 941-0424, ext. 12 Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, by request Cheese promised a mid-show collection of cocktail napkins with song requests from the audience. You'd be wise to ask for the following: From "I'd Like A Virgin" (2004) Ludacris' "Stand Up" OutKast's "Hey Ya!" Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice" Crazy Town's "Butterfly" From "Tuxicity" (2002) Disturbed's "Down With the Sickness" Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Brain" Mystikal's "Shake Ya Ass" Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" From "Lounge Against The Machine" (2000) The Dead Kennedys' "Holiday In Cambodia" Limp Bizkit's "Nookie/Break Stuff" Nine Inch Nail's "Closer" Radiohead's "Creep"

"It's a classic love song," insisted Cheese, as if the mere suggestion of "Milkshake" as anything else was akin to calling a wedge of brie, say, Velveeta. " 'Milkshake' is a great new take on the classic girl-meets-boy, boy-loses-girl, they-get-back-together theme."

And matched with Sinatra-esque crooning by song parodist/comedian Cheese and rocket-propelled swing instrumentation by his jazzy trio Lounge Against the Machine, the song's lyrics magically transform into just that. Imagine 'Ol Blue Eyes sinking his vocal chops into meaty lines like "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. And they're, like, it's better than yours," and you've got the picture.

Now close your eyes and think of Ludacris' "Stand Up," Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness," and Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" similarly reimagined lyric for lyric as jazzy lounge standards.

Uh-huh. It's "Songs for Swingin' Lovers" all over again, baby! Bill Murray's Nick the Lounge Singer from "Saturday Night Live" — only talented.

Though he's loathe to admit it, Cheese is actually the alter ego of Los Angeles-based singer/comedian Mark Jonathan Davis. And matched with his appropriately aliased Lounge Against the Machine cohorts — pianist Bobby Ricotta, upright bassist Gordon Brie and drummer Buddy Gouda — no decent or indecent alt-rock, mod-rock or hip-hop song is safe from being Cheesed.

Still minty fresh from another stint as Las Vegas house band for "Last Call with Carson Daily," Cheese and Lounge are Honolulu-bound for a couple of weekend shows at the Wave Waikiki. Having never played live here with his Lounge mates, frequent Hawai'i flier Cheese just about melted at the thought of a Waikiki gig.

"Hawaiian music is such a large component of lounge music," said Cheese. "And I'm so looking forward to playing some of these great songs in the land of lounge ... the land of Lava Lamps."

On the subject of those "great songs," Cheese offered nothing but gooey love.

"This is the Golden Age of Songwriting ... like Tin Pan Alley in the 1920s and 1930s," said Cheese, of current modern rock and hip-hop. "Some of the great standards of all time are being penned right now by the young artists of the day."

Take Slayer's "War Ensemble," for instance.

"This song speaks to a generation," said Cheese, deadpan, of the death-metal spawn with the chorus "Sport the war/war support/the sport is war/total war." "When I have children, and their children get married, they're going to have Slayer playing at their wedding. They're going to say, 'We want our special dollar dance to be Slayer.' "

Cheese spoke in serious, similarly hushed tones of Mystikal's "Shake Ya Ass," blink-182's "Feeling This," and Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice." He even called Snoop one of the most creative and talented musicians currently working.

"He's a wonderful lyricist. But he also has a real good ear for a tune and a very good heart for feeling," said Cheese. "Look at all the songs he works on. Look at 'Holiday Inn' by Chingy, which Snoop sings on.

"It's just like when Keely Smith would go and sing with Frank Sinatra. These guys collaborate and bring magic to the studio. They also bring something else special to the studio, which I believe is illegal in the United States."

Offered props for bringing out something special in "Milkshake" that Kelis simply couldn't, Cheese seemed pleased.

"We look for good lyrics and we look for a good tune," Cheese said of compositions making the Lounge Against the Machine cut. "But mostly, we're looking for that special thing that makes the song, you know, special.

"The lyric and the melody ... that's what the songwriter gives to us. And then we are free to interpret it and arrange it any way we can."

Some of the results, as evidenced on Cheese's recently released third CD "I'd Like A Virgin"? A merengue-ready cover of Coldplay's "Yellow," "Green Day's "Longview" recast as tiki-lounge kitsch, and OutKast's "Hey Ya!" kicking it downtempo, stirred, not shaken.

Cheese's punch line is the reality that most of the songs he selects actually work well with a lounge vibe. He even stated that very few songs defied Cheese wizardry.

"You'd be surprised," said Cheese, proudly. "If we have a few cocktails, some of this stuff comes right out. If there's a good song and the correct amount of liquor mixed with studio time, we can make anything work."

The musicians whose work Cheese has parodied have been cool with it. Well, about as cool as they might be expected to be, considering they really couldn't stop Cheese even if they wanted to.

Jet invited Cheese to open for them on their Australian home turf. (He's still pondering collection on that one.) Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker asked Cheese and Lounge to perform at his 2001 wedding reception. ("Three months later, he got divorced. We're proud of that," said Cheese.) Even Fred Durst likes the quartet in a nonstalker kind of way.

Of Lounge's "Bullet the Blue Sky" cover, Cheese said, "Bono from U2 got the first CD we put out a few years ago and he hasn't sued me yet. ... so that's been really nice."

Currently, brisk sales of "I'd Like a Virgin" are bringing in mad cheddar, and the thought of playing Hawai'i, for Cheese anyway, is like camembert for nachos. Cheese was so stoked about it, he's packing four tuxes for the occasion — including a just-for-Hawai'i tiki number "covered with all sorts of exotic liqueur drinks."

He waxed eloquently nostalgic on the long, strange career trip that has finally brought him to the lounge heaven he hopes to call home some day.

"The truth is, I got into this to share music with people," said Cheese. "The cheap wild stalker sex has just been the icing on the cake, and I'm certainly grateful for that. But we've traveled around the world ... and the one place I've always wanted to play is Hawai'i.

"To be honest, I'll probably get too drunk and ruin the show with my horrible problems. That said, I think people will still have a good time watching me and my ridiculous antics on stage."

Just give us your "Milkshake," lounge-style, and it'll be all Swiss, baby.

Reach Derek Paiva at 525-8005 or dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.