Richard Cheese

Mark Jonathan Davis (November 27, 1965, New York), known by his stage name Richard Cheese, is an American musician and comedian. He is the leader of Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, a Los Angeles band specializing in cover and comedy performances, performing popular songs in a lounge/swing style reminiscent of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett.

Style

Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine (a play on words with Rage Against the Machine) are specialized in performing current rock, metal, rap and hip hop songs and covering them in lounge style, sung with a type of traditional swing phrasing, contrasting the elegant arrangement of jazz music with irreverent and ribald lyrics to create a humorous dissonance.

Versions

Among the groups covered by Cheese are Nirvana, The Offspring, Radiohead, Guns N' Roses, Madonna, White Stripes, U2, Outkast, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Pink Floyd, Muse, Oasis, Metallica, The Prodigy, Beck, Rage Against The Machine, Slayer, Slipknot, Linkin' Park, Limp Bizkit, System of a Down, Weezer, Britney Spears, Green Day, Cypress Hill, Nine Inch Nails, Mystikal, Led Zeppelin, Star Wars soundtrack, Stevie Wonder, Van Halen, Korn, Blink-182 Beastie Boys, Sublime, Violent Femmes and Scorpions.

History

Since 2000 the band has released 10 albums and played concerts on tour in the United States, two concerts in Europe and several television appearances including performances on the shows Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Fox & Friends on the Fox News Channel, Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN, on the program Say What? Karaoke on MTV and for NBC in the television series Las Vegas, in the soap opera Passions and as a house band in Last Call with Carson Daly. Richard Cheese has appeared on wake-up radio shows and national broadcast networks such as Opie and Anthony, KROQ's Kevin and Bean, The Howard Stern Show, Bob and Sheri, and The Adam Carolla Show. The band gained popularity after their cover of Disturbed's Down with the Sickness that was featured in the 2004 version of the film Dawn of the Living directed by Zack Snyder.

The band's first CD (Lounge Against the Machine) was produced in 2000 by Oglio Records. Cheese's next two albums (Tuxicity and I'd Like A Virgin) were released in 2002 and 2004 on the Cheese-owned label, Coverage Records. From 2004 to 2006, Surfdog Records produced three new Richard Cheese CDs (Aperitif For Destruction, The Sunny Side Of The Moon, and Silent Nightclub), and a reissue of Tuxicity and I'd Like A Virgin. In 2007, Cheese returned to producing his own albums with Coverage Records: Dick At Nite in 2007, Viva La Vodka: Richard Cheese Live in 2009, OK Bartender in 2010 and < i>Johnny Aloha: Lavapalooza in 2010.

Cheese produced the album Lavapalooza under the name Johnny Aloha with a band of Hawaiian musicians performing tiki-style rock and rap songs.

Currently (2011) the band is carrying out a limited tour of the United States and two performances in the United Kingdom. Cheese has stated that his decision to reduce touring with his band is due to medical issues related to his vocal cords. He has already been forced to cancel his concert in Los Angeles in June 2011 due to this problem.

Band Members

• Richard Cheese: voice
• Bobby Ricotta: piano
• Frank Feta: Battery and percussion
• Billy Bleu: against

All names are pseudonyms that refer to types of cheese (Ricotta, Feta, Bleu) and new band members adopt the pseudonym of the member they replace or create a new name.

The role of Bobby Ricotta's pianist and musical director currently falls to Noel Melanio, but was previously played by David Adler. When drummer Buddy Gouda (Charles Byler) left the band in 2004, he was replaced by Brian Fishler and his stage name was changed to Frank Feta. The role of the double bass Gordon Brie was played by Louis Allen and before him by Christopher Monaco. Today the band has a new double bass, Ron Belcher and a new name Billy Bleu. The band has collaborated with numerous musicians and artists such as trumpeters Eric Jorgensen, Terry Landry, and Lee Thornburg, theremin player Pamelia Kurstin, vocalist Joshua Path, and singer "Weird Al" Yankovic. The only permanent band member has been Cheese.

Discography

• Numbers Of The Beast (2020)
• Richard Cheese Live on Titan (2019)
• Richard Cheese's Big Swingin' Organ (2019)
• Lord of the Swings: The Best of Richard Cheese, volume 2 (2018) (compiled)
• Licensed to Spill (2017)
• Richrd Cheese Live at Wayne Financial Tower (2016)
• Bakin' at the Boulder: Richard Cheese Live at the Boulder Theatre (2015) (live)
• Supermasive Black Tux (2015)
• The Lounge Awakens: Richard Cheese Live at the Mos Eisley Spaceport Cantina (2015)
• Cocktails With Santa (2013)
• The Royal Baby Album (2013)
• Hail to the Cheese: Richard Cheese's All-American Greatest Hits (2012) (compiled)
• Down With the Dickens: Richard Cheese's Dirtiest Greatest Hits (2012) (compiled)
• Hail To The Cheese (2012)
• Back In Black Tie (2011)
• A Lounge Supreme (2011)
• Live at The Royal Wedding (2011)
• Lavapalooza (2010) (with Richard Cheese presented as Johnny Aloha)
• OK Bartender (2010)
• Viva la Vodka (2009) (en vivo)
• Dick At Nite (2007)
• Silent Nightclub (2006)
• The Sunny Side Of The Moon:The Best Of Richard Cheese (2006) (compiled)
• Aperitif For Destruction (2005)
• I'd Like A Virgin (2004)
• Tuxicity (2002)
• Lounge Against the Machine (2000)