Parry Gripp

When Nerf Herder went on hiatus, Parry Gripp looked for steady employment and instead sparked a massive online craze rooted in his affection for waffles. A 2003 run of dates spent traveling in a baloney-scented RV prompted him to consider composing advertising jingles as a route to greater maturity. The actual outcome proved far less grown-up. After the opportunity vanished, he shifted to a fresh approach that fused punk-pop melodies with exuberant verses celebrating beer, dipping sauces, and exceptionally close-shaving blades. He assembled a collection of 51 such lighthearted jingles for his 2005 Ooglio debut, For Those About to Shop, We Salute You, whose AC/DC-referencing title was reinforced by cover artwork modeled on the metal band’s 1976 release Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Cuts such as “Great Nachos, Great Price,” “You’ve Got to Have Faith (In Your Anti-Perspirant),” and “This Sale Is Going to Blow Your Mind” proved catchy, comedic, and under sixty seconds long, yet the call-and-response track “Do You Like Waffles?” and its accompanying animated clip accumulated ten million views along with 2,100 response videos on YouTube. Corporate commissions followed, with Hallmark Cards enlisting Gripp to score material for its Hoops & YoYo series and the Wawa convenience-store chain requesting an original theme for its signature hoagies. Ooglio responded to the surge in interest by issuing the Do You Like Waffles? album, which gathered the child-oriented material from his first record alongside additional tracks and remixes. Gripp continues to post a Parry Gripp Song of the Week on his site, though nearly every installment actually delivers two fresh numbers; earlier standouts have included “Googlin’ on Yahoo,” “I Wanna Be Your Randy Quaid,” and “Cat Flushing a Toilet.”