Parry Gripp

by David JeffriesWhen his band Nerf Herder decided to take a break, member Parry Gripp sought a "proper job" and ended up creating a YouTube phenomenon thanks to his love of waffles. A 2003 tour with the band -- "in an RV that smelled like baloney" -- got Gripp to thinking maybe he could write jingles for an ad agency and start living a more adult lifestyle. The end result was much more juvenile than expected. Gripp lost the gig but began writing in a new style that combined punk-pop music with joyful lyrics singing the praises of beer, dipping sauces, and blades that give really close shaves. He gathered no less than 51 of these giddy jingles for his 2005 debut on the Ooglio label, For Those About to Shop, We Salute You (the AC/DC referencing title was supported by cover art that mimicked the metal band's 1976 album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap). Tracks like "Great Nachos, Great Price," "You've Got to Have Faith (In Your Anti-Perspirant)," and "This Sale Is Going to Blow Your Mind" were all infectious, hilarious, and under a minute in length, but it was the call-and-response number "Do You Like Waffles?" and its animated video that earned ten million views and 2,100 response videos on the video-sharing site YouTube. Now the corporate gigs came calling as Hallmark Cards hired Gripp to supply music for their Hoops & YoYo franchise, while the Wawa chain of stores commissioned a theme song for their famous hoagies. Ooglio also capitalized on the mania when they released the Do You Like Waffles? album, featuring all the kid-friendly songs from Gripp's debut plus some new numbers and remixes. He also offers a Parry Gripp Song of the Week on his website, although almost every week finds two new songs offered. Past highlights have included "Googlin' on Yahoo," "I Wanna Be Your Randy Quaid," and "Cat Flushing a Toilet."